The Lightning That Thunders: Prelude
by Sapphirina
Summary: .::10 yrs before The Lightning That Thunders::. The story of how Naminé Thomson met the Crimson Alchemist - from their first run in to their unfortunate separation. KimbleexOC R
1. Chapter 1: Namine Meets the Crimson Alch

**A/N: I don't know how well this story is going to be but I felt I should at least post it up. The story might updated not every week because I have another fanfic and another story on FictionPress. This story is related to The Lightning That Thunders. So I don't know if it's necessary to read that before reading this one. But if it helps you to understand it better, go ahead. Oh, here's the disclaimer that I will only put once in this story.**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't not own Fullmetal Alchemist or any of its character. I just own this fanfic and its story line. That's it.**

**CHAPTER 1-Naminé Meets the Crimson Alchemist:**

Today, Southern HQ was adding a new member to its ranks. Sitting in his spacious office, bookcase neatly arranged behind him, Basque Gran glared over the papers in his hands. Each sheet had compiled information on the new recruit. Her name, her current address, her age, her height, and so on. However, he was more concerned with her credentials. She never had a job before which meant she lacked discipline. She had no combat experience whatsoever, meaning that a rookie was supposed to work under _his_ command. That was the worst kind soldier he could have. To make matters worse, she was a woman. He knew several women in the military but most had desk jobs. Very few of them proved to be anything other than a pile of emotions ready to blow. He looked away and stared at the woman with his green eyes. "Naminé Thomson, right?" He said, finally addressing the woman in the room.

Naminé nodded. She shifted in place a bit. She didn't think he thought that she was impressive. Her appearance seemed to add to that impression. A pair of baggy sweats, old sneakers, and unfortunately messy hair quickly put in a ponytail. She had overslept this morning and she would have been late otherwise if she had wasted time to freshen up properly. When she realized that the man was glaring at her still, she caught her mistake. Immediately she stood up straighter. "Yes, sir. You are Colonel Gran, right?"

The man nodded, the frown on his face never coming off. "I heard that you passed the Alchemy test with flying colors. Lightning, isn't it?"

It took her some time to understand that Lightning was her alchemist ability. Naminé nodded her head, her ponytail swaying. "Yes, sir." She started rocking back and forth, her blue eyes focusing on the man in front of her. Already, he didn't like her much and she wondered what had she done so wrong. To distract her thoughts, she focused on the blue uniform that he was wearing. She supposed she would have to wear that, too. It wasn't very becoming.

Finally after what had seemed like hours of deliberation, he placed the papers in a folder and put it in a drawer. "You will begin work tomorrow."

She nodded and brushed her brown bangs out of her face a bit. The worst of this appointment was over. "Is it possible to get a tour of Southern HQ, sir?" She asked. She had a feeling what his answer would be and her guess wasn't too far off.

"I don't have time to waste on tours."

"Couldn't someone else-!"

The door opened and a soldier walked in. He wasn't formally dressed like the colonel. He wore black, sleeveless shirt and the blue military pants. His long dark hair was pulled back. Naminé didn't know what to think of this man. The only thing that came to mind was that he was probably rude and had a foul mouth. That was what the look in his eyes were telling her and the way he had walked in here as well. Their eyes met and she quickly looked away. She didn't want to make 'friends' with the wrong people so soon.

"You need something, Major?" Gran asked.

The major looked away from the woman and stared at the colonel. "Not really." He was just passing through. He had heard something about a new alchemist and he wanted to see who it was for himself. She didn't look like much of threat. That was fine with him. It made things around the place more manageable.

Gran shot his officer a look. "Then leave the room, Crimson Alchemist."

"If you say so, Colonel." The Crimson Alchemist smirked and turned around to leave. He glanced at the woman again and caught her eyes on him. He realized that she was staring at his pocket watch, slowly putting two and two again. Although he was curious about her abilities, he walked out of the room and closed the door behind him. Now she was able to speak.

"What does he do, sir?" Naminé asked. His title had told her nothing about him, making her wonder if hers would carry such mystery. _Crimson Alchemist_, she thought to herself. She had to admit that the title did sound vaguely familiar.

"He blows things up," Gran said simply.

"I see." Now she remembered. The Crimson Alchemist was some bomb happy freak who took great pleasure blowing things up and causing others pain. To think she had been so close to such a maniac was a bit nerve-wracking and she hoped to never see him around any time soon. The looks he had given her had not been the friendliest. It was as if he was trying to size her up. _Maybe I should have taken the extra ten minutes to freshen up._

Gran pulled out an envelope and a state pocketwatch. He then pulled out a document from the envelope and glanced over it. "Your official title will be the Lightning Alchemist."

"Not really original, is it?" Naminé was hoping for something more creative, but she supposed it was okay. Although it was a dead giveaway to what she could do, she could deal with it. It suited her just fine if anything and was easy to remember. Her blue eyes landed on the pocket watch on the desk. She picked up the state watch, assuming that it came with the title. Why else did the Crimson Alchemist have one himself?

The Colonel looked up sharply. "Did I give it to you, soldier?" Gran growled.

"No . . . sir." She placed it back on the desk and folded her hands. Another mistake on her part. This couldn't get any better.

Gran inspected the soldier, wondering how much trouble she would cause at Southern Headquarters and what would happen if she started to hang around the wrong crowd. It would probably stress the hell out of him and unfortunately, it seemed so likely to happen. He glared at her before saying, "Take it and go."

Naminé took the watch and eagerly left the room. After the door closed behind her, she sighed out of relief. Finally she was away from the glare. Now she could relax without worry. She thought about what she'd do the moment she got out this place. Vi had invited Naminé to come to a restaurant with her and Mel. She could go if they didn't change their minds. She could even celebrate her recent accomplish. "The Lightning Alchemist," she repeated to herself, coveting the shiny new pocket watch. She leaned against the wall, a smile on her lips. The object in her hands symbolized her position in the military. She wished her father could share this moment with her. No doubt he would be proud as well. Suddenly a voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Are you going to stand there all day with that stupid grin on your face?"

Naminé looked down the hallway and saw the Crimson Alchemist staring at her, his arms folded across his chest. She stood up straight, thinking about the rumors she had heard so many times. She was out of the safety of Gran's office and in an empty hall way with the mad bomber. The colonel's glare suddenly seemed worth facing. _Hold your ground_, she told herself. _He can't do anything to you._ She cleared her throat loudly and spoke. "I was just about to go somewhere else."

He put his hands in his pockets and approached her, his gold eyes still on her. She sounded confident and brave but was it mostly talk? He stopped in front of her and his golden eyes traced the contours of her body. He met her gaze and that was all he needed to see. She was scared of him. Apparently his reputation preceded him better than he had thought. While she was distracted by her own thoughts,he swiftly snatched the watch from her. "They actually accept women as state alchemists?"

"Give that back," Naminé said trying to grab it from him. The guy easily put it out of her reach by lifting his arm up. He was, after all, taller than she was. She stepped closer to him and tried again. She could only imagine how childish this must have looked. It was like she was in second grade all over again and someone was trying to play keep-away with her doll. She tried jumping now, not seeing any other alternative.

When it became clear she wouldn't reach it, the Crimson Alchemist smirked. "What's your name?"

She didn't bother answering his question. She didn't like him at all and he didn't deserve to know such vital information. She focused on the task at hand. "If you don't give me back that watch, I'm going to kick you extremely hard in the groin." She hoped that her threat sounded menacing enough because she was getting tired of this game. She wanted it to end now.

Kimblee laughed. "I'll simply blow you to bits," he responded. Naminé narrowed her eyes at him and continued jumping. She was clearly a stubborn woman. "What's your name?" He repeated, wondering when she would tell him.

"I'm not telling you. Just give me back my pocket watch!"

"Maybe I should keep it if you won't answer my question."

"You have to be the most childish person I have ever met in my life."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course I am!" Naminé stopped jumping and clenched her fists. If it was a fight he was looking for, she'd give him one.

The guy stared at her, the smirk still on his face. Then he said, "Wait till you meet Romberg."

She dropped her guard, a quizzical look on her face. "Who?"

The Crimson Alchemist didn't answer. He simply threw her the pocket watch and then he walked down the hallway. Naminé glared at his retreating back, not understanding the easy surrender. "Come back here! I'm not done with you yet!"

"Too bad, babe," he called as he disappeared around the corner.

"Babe?" Naminé said in disbelief. He had given her a pet name. Who did he think he was anyway. Now she hated him. He was such a jackass to her. Naminé's eyes glanced down at the pocket watch. Her eyebrow arched. It was glowing brighter and brighter. Then suddenly she remembered what Gran had told her and she threw it down the hallway. The pocket watch exploded in midair. She watched in shock as the tiny metal pieces fell onto the floor.

Naminé's blue eyes narrowed. "I'm going to get that jackass."

* * *

It was the next day. Naminé felt so nervous as she stood on the stairs outside of the headquarters. Her blue eyes stared at the Ametris flag that hung in from of the building. It was her first day at work. She was wearing the military uniform proudly, similar to the one her father had used to wear. Due to her current status as a state alchemist, she was wearing the badges of a major. Could she handle this? She hoped that ten hours would go by quickly. Most of the time would probably be dedicated to paperwork, the rest of it would be some alone time. She didn't anyone but Colonel Gran and she didn't want to hang out with him during lunch. Maybe she would find somewhere or better yet someone would find her. The breeze blew and she placed her hair behind her ear.

"Hey, babe."

She flinched. It was his voice again. Reluctantly, the woman turned around and gave the person a dirty look. There was the arrogant bastard again. This time he was with another guy. "You again." She hardly paid attention to the man next to him. He wasn't the one who had blown up her watch and forced her to ask Gran for a replacement.

The alchemist smirked. "You remember that I mentioned you had to meet someone yesterday?" He caught the flicker across her face. So she did remember. That was good then. He nodded toward the man next to him. "This is Thaddeus Romberg."

For the first time, Naminé stared at the guy. He had brown eyes and mahogany hair. He seemed respectable but looks were often deceiving. She had learned that lesson four years ago. If this guy was worst than the his buddy, she didn't want to stay around and get to know the man.

"I prefer the name Thad," Romberg told her. Then he turned toward the Crimson Alchemist. "Kimblee, you were right. She's definitely something to check out."

Naminé shook her head in disgust and started to walk up the stairs. Romberg was no different than Kimblee and she wasn't going to stick around to hear such sexist comments. It was like no one had respect for her in this place. At least none of the men she had the pleasure of meeting. She picked up the pace but didn't get much further; someone had grabbed her wrist. She looked back and saw it was Kimblee. "Let go now," she said.

"Can't do that, babe," the Crimson Alchemist said. "You still haven't given me your name."

Her blue eyes narrowed at the petname. She needed to set the record straight right now before it became a permanent habit. "My name is not 'babe'." She tried to yank her wrist away but the guy had a firm grip on him. She tugged again to no avail. The man found this humorous and Naminé knew that as well. She continued pulling until he said something else that got under her skin.

"Would 'bitch' be more a more acceptable name for you?"

"You're just asking me to shock you."

"Wait," Romberg said, interrupting the argument. He walked up the stairs and peered at the woman closely. "_You're_the Lightning Alchemist?" Romberg walked behind her, examining her from head to toe. He patted her ass out of curiosity and didn't pay heed to the shocked gasp. He continued talking as if what he had done was nothing. "I thought it was a guy. But I suppose a female _is_ always better."

_He is actually . . ._When Naminé felt Romberg's pat turn into a grope, she kicked him in the balls. She was about to do the same to Kimblee, whether he threatened to blow her up or not, when someone laughed in the background. Naminé looked at the source of the sound. There was a woman standing on the stairs. She had platinum blond hair and green eyes. Instead of wearing the military pants, she wore the blue skirt. She also had on high heels. She was pointing and laughing at Romberg, who was on the stairs holding his groin. Apparently, she found all this amusing. "You had that coming for weeks, Romberg," the woman said in a teasing voice.

Kimblee finally stopped smirking and released Naminé's wrist. "Isabelle, what are you doing here?"

"Nothing," she said as she walked up to Naminé. She extended a hand. "Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Isabelle Stonewall. What's your name?"

Naminé glanced at Kimblee and Romberg then at Isabelle. If she hadn't appeared nice, she wouldn't have answered her question. She shook hands with the blonde. "I'm Naminé Thomson."

"You have to be new here. That's the only reason they're acting this way."

"What do you mean?"

"They're having some stupid competition about who can get the most girls. Unfortunately, it's fifty to fifty and they've dated all the suitable girls here. Until you showed up. So you're the tiebreaker now."

Naminé raised her eyebrows. How can this woman say it like it was no big deal? "Is that so?" She glanced at Romberg and then at Kimblee. When she came here, she had hoped to escape hell. However, that seemed to be highly unlikely. She folded her arms and sighed. Southern HQ, the second hell she would come to know.

**A/N: Yeah. Short. I know. But I have to see how many people will actually read this story. So if you want to read more, review. And for those who are wondering, Naminé mentions the 'first hell' to Kimblee in Chapter 7 in The Lightning That Thunders. She doesn't really calls it that during their conversation but it is the reason why she joins the military. Anyway, till later.**


	2. Chapter 2: Introducing a New Twist and a

**A/N: Hey! I didn't want to update this story unless I updated my other fanfic. So yeah, if you were waiting sorry. Anyway, I hope this chapter is better than the last because I tried to be more descriptive. **

**CHAPTER 2—Introducing a New Twist . . . and a New Assignment:**

Naminé and Isabelle were walking down the hallway. As their feet clicked on the tiled floor, their voices carried down the hallways. The two women had no boundaries. Most of the officesthat they passed on the way were empty. This was because the people were eating lunch in the cafeteria. No doubt Kimblee and Romberg were in there by now or at least heading there. Naminé had been making attempts to avoid the place. She had been successful the last two days. Today she was not so lucky. Isabelle had dragged her along and with no outdoor rendezvous, the Lightning Alchemist had no choice.

"So you haven't seen the cafeteria yet?" Isabelle asked Naminé. She was a little surprised because this was Naminé's third day at Southern HQ. Surely the woman had gotten some tour of the headquarters.

"I've been eating out in town," Naminé explained.

Isabelle grinned. "Did Kimblee or Romberg tell you that the food here are poison?"

Naminé shook her head. "I've been ignoring them," she simply stated. They rounded the corner and Naminé nearly bumped into Romberg. The three of them paused for a moment, waiting for the surprise to wear off.

"Hey Naminé," Romberg finally greeted. Already, he could sense the waves of hostility coming off the alchemist.

After shooting him a glare, Naminé pushed pass him. "I had enough of your cheesy pick-up lines."

Isabelle raised an eyebrow, taking a step toward Naminé . "What cheesy pick-up lines?"

"Well," Naminé started. She folded her arms and sighed. "I rather not say. Just know that it was very perverted." The woman couldn't say it because it was one of those bad pick-up lines that would leave a nasty taste in her mouth. Mel had always shared the lines that men had tried on her but Naminé had never expected to her them directed at herself. It was irritating. Kimblee had yet to try anything like that. Over the last couple of days, all he had done was call her a bitch and she had called him a psycho right back.

Romberg wrapped his arm around her waist, bringing her closer to his body. "Come on, I worked hard on that one. Don't be like this."

Naminé glared at him and muttered, "Get your hands off me."

Romberg refused to let go of her waist."Why do you have to play hard-to-get? I know that you think I'm irresistible."

Naminé clapped her hands, activating the alchemic tattoo on her back. "The day I go out with you is when elephants fall out of the sky." She placed her hands on his chest. Suddenly a harmless jolt ran through Romberg's body and he quickly jerked away from her. Before he could say anything, she was walking down the hallway alone. Apparently, she didn't want any company at the moment.

Isabelle folded her arms and turned toward Romberg. "Would it kill you to be a gentleman?"

"What's the point if I know she's going to crack and finally sleep with me?"

The blonde chuckled at his moment of stupidity, finding it a bit entertaining. "You really think that's going to happen?"

The man frowned. "Of course. Why wouldn't it?"

Isabelle rolled her eyes. "Moron," she said. With that, she left.

* * *

Naminé was leaning against the wall, staring at the rows of tables filled with soldiers. _So this is the cafeter_ia, she thought. Her blue eyes landed on the food line. It was still long and she thought that she would wait it out. Still, that wasn't her prime concern. She needed a place to sit. However, she didn't know many of the soldiers inside the vast room and couldn't randomly sit with any of them. So she remained in the back, trying to decide what to do.

"What happened this time? You're lost?"

Naminé looked to her right and saw Kimblee staring at her, amusement in his golden eyes. She looked away, wondering what he wanted now. "Is there a reason that you're bothering me?"

Kimblee walked over and leaned against the wall as well. He wasn't going to touch her; it was clear that it wasn't working in Romberg's favor. He would employ a different strategy, one that would be foolproof. After some consideration, he glanced at her. He saw she had a suspicious look on her face. "I see you're still bitch," he said nonchalantly.

Naminé thought about his words. "It's a turn off for you? Because if it is, you can leave me alone now. I'm like this all the time."

Kimblee smirked. "It's not . . . Only because you're just too beautiful to let go, babe."

She looked at him in surprise, a slight blush appearing on her face. Naminé hadn't expected _that_ out of him. She thought he would say something more perverted. Maybe that was why she hadn't complained when he had called her 'babe'. The compliment had threw her in a loop. Quickly, she looked away. "Really?" Naminé asked, not even bothering to mask the disbelief she felt.

Kimblee raised an eyebrow, confused that she was blushing for no reason. Then it hit him. The girl probably never had a boyfriend before so the slightest compliment had made her feel giddy. Taking advantage of the opportunity, he tilted her head by the chin and gazed into her blue eyes. "I mean it."

Her heart thudded in her chest, making her ribs ache. Naminé was confused by what was happening. Something was wrong with her, wrong with this picture. Kimblee couldn't be her Prince Charming. He just couldn't. He was vulgar and rude and possibly pyschotic. Yet she couldn't pull away from him. The woman was mesmerized by something she had never noticed about him before. The color of his eyes, the shape of his jaw, the appealing texture of his lips. She could feel her face getting redder and redder by the second.

"Naminé , I wanted to ask you for a while now: do you want to go out with me?" Kimblee asked, sensing she was so close to caving in and he closer to winning his little competition.

"Uh, I," Naminé started, not sure what to say. _Did he always looked this good? _She suddenly asked herself. _Maybe he did but I never noticed . . . I should answer him now, right? Should I say no? Yes? _A pat on the ass snapped her out of her thoughts. Naminé turned abruptly and saw Romberg staring at them. "I thought I told you not to touch me," Naminé said.

"I wanted to say sorry for before," Romberg said with a grin. "And for now. Look, I should have more respect for you. And I'll never grope you again. Promise."

Naminé opened her mouth to say something but stopped. She then looked back at Kimblee. She had almost forgotten about the competition. To think that she had actually considered a date with Kimblee - the idea was upsetting. She was angry at herself for being so stupid, angry at the Crimson Alchemist for playing her emotions. Kimblee opened his mouth to say something but she shook her head and quickly headed for the exit, her hunger forgotten.

Kimblee stared at Naminé's retreating back before turning around. He gritted his teeth as Romberg smirked at him. _That fucking bastard, _he thought.

Romberg shrugged. "What can I say? I really want to win our bet."

"You won't get her to sleep with you."

Romberg sighed. "That's why I want to change the rules. Instead of being it being whoever sleeps with her first, it should be whoever goes on a date with her first. How about that?"

Kimblee thought about it. He was certain that she would crack eventually and say yes to him. She had almost done so a few minutes ago. He smirked. "Fine."

* * *

"They're such assholes," Naminé told Vi and Mel. It had took her ten minutes to explain what had transpired not too long ago to her childhood friends. Naminé had realized that she was hungry but had refused to go back to the cafeteria. Despite her original thoughts, she decided that eating out would be the best option. She went to a café not too far from Southern Headquarters. Ironically, she had ran into the very same friends that said they couldn't be there. According to them, they had a change of plans.

Mel and Vi were Naminé's childhood friends. Mel had orange hair with bangs that covered her forehead. She was wearing a blue miniskirt and white tank top. She had on long black boots and to match, a black scarf around her neck. Vi was half Ishbalan so she had the traditional red eyes. To not attract too much attention, she wore tinted sunglasses. She also had light brown skin and long dark hair. She had on long black pants and a red t-shirt.

Mel took a sip of her drink before saying anything. "Are you sure?" Mel was a redhead and the more fashionable of the three. With a blue miniskirt and white tank top on, she was the most fashionably dressed or so the woman would like to think. She fiddled with the black scarf around her neck to adjust it a bit. Then she crossed her legs to show off her knee-high boots. She took another drink. "They could be nice people underneath."

Vi raised an eyebrow at Mel. "They're groping her, flirting with her and using her for their personal gains. Why aren't they jerks?" Although Vi was half Ishbalan, her Ishbalan traits were more prominent. Although the weather didn't really called for it, she was wearing sunglasses today to hide her red irises. She leaned back into her chair and ran a hand through her long dark hair as she stared at her pizza slice. She had been learning a lot from medical school. Pizza was nowhere close to healthy but she had ordered it instead of the salad. She felt guilty that she was cheating on her diet. Still, she took a bite anyway, savoring its deliciousness.

"All that matters is whether they're cute guys," Mel explained. "I mean, you can easily change a man's perspective on things."

Naminé sighed and took a bite from her deli sandwich. "You don't know them. One's a pervert with no shame. The other is some psychotic bomb-happy lunatic."

"But are they cute?" Mel asked, leaning forward.

"I'm not answering that."

"You have to."

Naminé rolled her eyes and gave the idea some consideration. " . . . I guess so."

"You guess?" Mel asked. "What was wrong? The room was dark or something?"

"She just doesn't want to admit anything to herself," Vi explained. "Almost like a state of denial."

"If she refuses to tell me," Mel said, "I'll just have to see these two guys myself."

"You don't want to meet them," Naminé stated. "Trust me."

Mel smiled. "Heh. I think I do."

After finishing their lunches, they got up and threw out their mess. Vi reached the garbage can first and threw out the empty cups. While Naminé was throwing out the wrappers and Mel was putting the trays away, Vi started to gather her belongings. "I got to go back to the college before I'm late for my class," she announced. "I'll see you two later."

"Bye," Mel chirped as she gather up her things as well. She looked at Naminé. "You're going now?"

"Uh huh. I have to go back to HQ. My break is almost over."

Mel sighed. She had went to college before but had dropped out. She had considered getting a job but due to her family financial circumstances, it wasn't necessary. Sometimes she wished that she hadn't bonded with such ordinary friends. It forced her to hang out alone during the day. "I guess I'll go shopping," she said with a small smile. "Bye."

"Bye, Mel."

* * *

Naminé returned to Southern HQ. She was in disbelief. Mel had claimed that all that mattered about men was how handsome they were. Naminé wasn't an expert on boyfriends considering the fact that she never had one but she knew that how handsome a man was was hardly enough to determine if he was dateable. As experience as Mel was, sometimes the alchemist thought that her friend was shallow. She rounded a corner and stopped. Down the hallway, Kimblee was talking to a giggling woman. Feeling a bit apprehensive, she approached the two.

Kimblee looked up, a bit surprised to see the Lightning Alchemist. "Hey, babe."

"Hi," the unknown woman greeted, stiffling her giggles. She had brown eyes and long lashes. Her long brown hair was loose and curly. She was wearing the blue military skirt and high heels.

"Hey," Naminé muttered. Her blue eyes kept traveling from the woman to Kimblee and back again, trying to understand what was going on.

"This is Sonia," Kimblee finally introduced. "Sonia, this is Naminé."

"Nice to finally meet the girl Romberg's been talking about," Sonia said.

"Nice to meet you, too," Naminé replied but the look in her eyes said otherwise. Her blue eyes landed on Kimblee. _That player, _Naminé thought bitterly as she glared at Kimblee. _If he thought he was going to ask me out while he had a girlfriend, he has a lot to learn. That freakin' two-timing—_

"The way Romberg talks about you," Sonia began, examining the brunette with a slight distaste, "I thought you would be . . . like a whore or something." She stared at Kimblee and noticed that he was looking at the female alchemist for whatever reasons. Her nostrils flared a bit before she looked back at the other woman.

"Really?" Naminé asked, her eyebrow raised.

Sonia nodded. "But you don't look like one. I only thought so because most of the girls Romberg goes out with are sluts. I just find it hard to believe that Romberg actually wants a decent woman. Maybe you keep those sort of activities behind closed doors?"

"Of course not," Naminé stated, putting on a fake smile. There was only one thing that was stopping her from attacking Sonia and that was Kimblee because he might interfere. If she had known Kimblee a bit better, she would have known that he wouldn't.

"Naminé!" Surprised to hear her name, Naminé turned around.

Romberg was rushing down the hallway. When he finally reached them, he put his hands on his knees and took a few seconds to catch his breath. Then he stood up straight and ran a hand through his mahogany hair. He saw the look in Naminé's eyes and raised his hands in a no-offense way. "Relax," he said. "I'm not going to touch you this time. I swear."

Sonia smiled. "I thought she wasn't your girlfriend."

"She isn't," Romberg replied. He quickly diverted his attention to Naminé. "Gran just gave me an assignment. We're going to work together."

"That's nice," Sonia said and tug Kimblee's arm. She was eager to leave. She hadn't appreciated Kimblee's _excitement - _a term loosely used - when the other woman had come. He had almost forgotten all about her existence and she hated when the spotlight was off her. The woman looked up at the Crimson Alchemist and smiled coyly. Slowly, she traced imaginary swirls on his arm. "We'll leave you two alone now," Sonia told the other two without passing a fleeting glance in their direction. She was about to pull Kimblee away but Romberg stopped her.

"He has to do the assignment as well," Romberg said.

Kimblee raised an eyebrow. "You don't say?"

"What do we have to do?" Naminé asked, smirking at Sonia. At the moment, Sonia wasn't her favorite person and if taking Kimblee away would upset her, the Lightning Alchemist would willingly rub salt into the wounds.

"We have to go to some warehouse. Gran believes there are me thugs involve in illegal activities. We're suppose to take care of it tomorrow afternoon."

Naminé glanced at Romberg and then at Kimblee. Her first assignment in the military was to handle some thugs. Alone. With the two of them. She never thought that the world could hate her so much.

**A/N:** **Well, we finally meet Sonia. If you have no clue what I'm talking about: Romberg mentions in her in Chapter 5 of my other story but she never makes an appearance. The warehouse was mentioned in Chapter 11 when Corruption negotiates with Naminé via phone. Anyway, thanks to XcrimsonXFlameXAlchemistX, IceChick495, and Kimimaros-Angel for reviewing. That's it for now. Till later.**


	3. Chapter 3: The Warehouse Assignment

**A/N: So, after over a long year, I decided to update this story. Why? Because someone left me a review recently and when I looked at it, I looked at this story and realized how long it has been. I've been so absorbed in my other story (which is almost over) that I practically lost all momentum for this one. I was about to start a new story (probably Naruto or Fruits Basket or Bleach, something along those lines) but then I decided I should try to see this one through to the end. I feel refreshed, especially seeing Ed and Al on TV again. Yeah, I must sound like I'm high on sugar or some other substance. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter and that it's not boring.**

**CHAPTER 3 ---- The Warehouse Assignment:**

Naminé looked at the old warehouse and frowned. She, Kimblee, and Romberg were hiding behind a bush late at night. The crickets chirped noisily in the background and the mosquitoes were buzzing around as the lights flickered inside of the warehouse. A mosquito landed on Naminé's arm and she smacked it. "So, did Gran give you more information on the thugs?" She asked Romberg.

Romberg nodded as he stood, seeing that there was no reason to hide anymore. "He said that they're part of a weapon ring. Actually, they're the leaders of it. So take them out, the whole ring falls."

Kimblee clapped his hands together and walked over to the warehouse. He placed his hands on the wall and grinned.

"Without casualties," Romberg added.

Kimblee turned around and frowned. "What the hell? Then what's the point of me coming?"

Romberg walked over to the wall. "There are other things you can use your alchemy for."

Kimblee turned around. "Yeah. Making a hole through this wall."

"Don't even try it," Naminé said. "You're going to attract attention."

"Wow, the great alchemist is scared of some common thugs."

"No," Naminé muttered. "It's just better to surprise the enemy."

"It's better to let them know they have something to fear, babe."

"Why would I believe that a psychotic bomber is right on this?"

"Do you want to start something with me?"

"Is that a threat?"

Romberg sighed. "For once, I want to focus on the mission. If I screw this up, Gran will kill me. So let's try to do this without mistakes and use a window or something."

Naminé raised her eyebrows. She was surprised by his leadership and by his logical thinking. It was a huge contrast to his usual perverse nature. The Crimson Alchemist, on the other hand, had kept true to his. He had proven that he loved bombs and explosions. Seriously, blow the whole building up? There had to be precious evidence inside. Gran would not only have killed Romberg but the two of them as well, her for even letting Kimblee do it.

Romberg stopped walking and pointed up. "Here's a window." He looked back at the Lightning Alchemist. "Ladies first."

She gave him a look and walked up to the wall. The bottom of the open window was up to her neck. She awkwardly placed her hands on the sill and tried to push herself up. At that moment, she realized her lack of upper body strength. She sighed. Suddenly, she felt hands on her hips and jumped away. She swirled around and saw Romberg. "What are you doing?!"

"I was just offering some help!"

"I'm fine, thank you very much!"

Kimblee rolled his eyes. "Keep yelling. I'm certain nobody would hear you two."

Naminé glared at him before glancing at Romberg. "You try to get in."

"Move over," Romberg muttered. He moved back a few steps and took a running leap. She was surprised at how agile he was. He had placed his hands on the windowsill and swung himself over. He peered out at them. "Hurry up."

Kimblee did the same thing without a problem, surprising Naminé at how agile he was too. Now they were both waiting for her to get inside. Kimblee smirked. "Can't do it?"

Naminé held her hands up. "Can you pull me up?" She reluctantly asked, her blue eyes cast down on the ground.

Kimblee and Romberg looked at each other before extending a hand. Naminé took them and the two men pulled her up.

"Damn," Kimblee muttered. "You're freakin' heavy."

"Or maybe you're just weak," Naminé muttered darkly, not liking the jab at her weight. Sure she wasn't model skinny but she wasn't fat. She reassured herself with that thought.

When half her body was hanging out the window, Romberg and Kimblee grabbed her jacket and pulled her completely inside. They dropped her on the floor and smirked.

The Lightning Alchemist shot them a glare, stood up, and brushed herself off. "Now what?" She asked, deciding that she wouldn't let them annoy her anymore.

"We find them," Romberg said.

"Won't they be armed?" She asked.

"So will we," Romberg replied, taking out his pistol and loading it. "You're welcome to stop worrying any time now."

"As I said," Kimblee muttered to Romberg. "This is exactly why women can't be soldiers. They worry about every single thing."

Naminé frowned. "Then why am I a soldier?"

"As I've told you, I never seen a female alchemist before until you came along."

Naminé tried to keep her composure. "Meaning?"

"You must have offered them one of your many 'services'."

The Lightning Alchemist gasped.

"Go---!" A bullet zoomed passed Naminé's head, cutting her off. The bullet continued to travel until it hit Romberg's pistol. He immediately dropped it and shook his hand to minimize the pain. She turned around and saw a rugged man standing there, holding his own gun.

"Well, well, well," he grinned. "The military is here. How . . . fortunate." He aimed the gun at them again.

Naminé quickly snapped her fingers and a lightning bolt struck the man's gun, causing him to drop the weapon. Less than five seconds later, a bullet ripped through her shoulder. The arm that she always used her alchemy for felt numb as blood trickled down. She saw where the shot had come from.

There was a group of thugs behind them and another group to the left. The man who had shot Naminé aimed his gun and shot her again, this time in the arm. The bullet spiraled its way through her skin, muscles, tissues, and bone.

Naminé gripped her arm, feeling how arm had been rendered useless.

Kimblee smirked and clapped his hands together. "I guess I have no choice."

He charged at one guy who was loading a pistol and grabbed his arm. "Too slow."

The man panicked when he saw his arm glowing. Then it exploded, blood splattering on the walls. The surrounding men raised their arms as shields, a stupid mistake on their part. It only made picking the next victim easier for the Crimson Alchemist. Naminé stared in horror, remembering the last time she had seen so much blood. She felt herself go weak in the knees as she watched Kimblee avoid another bullet and explode another arm.

Romberg stared at her. "Naminé?" He saw how her bottom lip quivered and her dilated pupils. "Naminé?"

Suddenly, in the middle of Kimblee's mad rampage, a man attacked from behind and knocked out the Crimson Alchemist. Naminé was about to run in but someone else grabbed her in a bear hug and started to crush her. Air wasn't reaching her lungs and soon her vision became hazy. From the corner of her eye, she saw Romberg being restrained. That was the last thing she saw before passing out.

* * *

"Naminé," someone called in a hushed whisper. "Naminé!"

The young woman flinched before her blue eyes opened up.

Naminé tried to move and discovered that she was tied up. She was propped against some crates. In addition to her arms, her legs and hands were also bound together. Across from her were Kimblee and Romberg tied back-to-back. Their eyes were on her.

Kimblee smirked. "How was your nap, babe? Any sweet dreams?"

Naminé shook her head. "I take it that us being attacked wasn't a dream?"

"It was pretty much real," Romberg muttered. "We're wondering if you can move."

"Does it look like it? I don't think I can get out of my ropes either."

The Crimson Alchemist tilted his head to the side, listening intently. "Someone's coming. Try to seduce them into removing your ropes."

"What?" Naminé asked. "Do I look that kind of woman?"

"Well you better start acting like it," Romberg muttered, trying to see behind him. He wanted to know where the approaching guy was. "I'm not in the mood of dying right now."

"Selfish jackasses," Naminé muttered.

Kimblee sadistically grinned. "I swear that tongue gets sharper by the second."

A guy came around the corner. He was wearing tight jeans and a black muscle shirt. His black hair was in a mess though and he already had a beard growing. All this made him unattractive. He came and stooped next to Naminé. She smelled the liquor on his breath and grimaced.

"What brings you here, little girl?"

The Lightning Alchemist turned her head away. The man frowned. He cupped her chin and snapped her head toward him.

"I'm talking to you."

Naminé's blue eyes wandered away from the man's face. Then she saw Kimblee and Romberg pushing themselves onto their bound feet. She quickly looked back at the man when she felt his hot breath on her neck.

"You are pretty cute, maybe even sexy." The man pulled out a knife and held it up to her neck. "What do you think of me?"

"Um . . . I . . ."

Kimblee and Romberg hopped as quietly as possible. When they were close enough, they knocked the guy into some crates. Kimblee rolled over, revealing the knife in his mouth. He motioned Naminé over with a jerk of his head.

Naminé scouted closer, hearing the thug groan in pain. She turned around and Kimblee started to cut the ropes. It was taking a while, considering the awkward position he was in and the weird way he was cutting it.

The ropes hit the floor and her arms were loose. It was just her hands and feet. Kimblee started to work on the ropes on her hands. The guy started to get up and Crimson Alchemist started to speed up. Naminé rolled away from Kimblee and started to pull her hands apart, hoping it would work. Finally, her hands broke out of the ropes.

The guy slowly got up and took the knife from Kimblee. "Think you're so slick, huh? Might as well start slitting all your throats now. First, the girl . . ."

Naminé had reached into her pocket and pulled out her lipstick. By the time the guy had focused on her, she was done drawing her transmutation circle. And by the time he had started to move toward her, she had activated it. Metal bars rose around the man. Soon, they met at the top, becoming a cage.

"You little bitch!" The thug said.

Naminé sighed and started to cut the ropes on her legs. When the Lightning Alchemist was done, she started to help the boys.

Kimblee smirked as the last rope on him was cut. "Well, well, the little female alchemist was helpful after all."

Naminé stood and ignored the Crimson Alchemist, deciding there were more important issues than Kimblee's sarcastic remarks. She walked over to the cage. "Where are the others?"

The thug narrowed his eyes. "Why do you care?"

"I'm surprised that you're not calling for help."

Romberg frowned and his eyebrows furrowed. "That's a good point. Where are they?"

"The others that aren't losing blood already left with the weapons twenty minutes ago. You won't catch them. Not at the rate they left."

Naminé heard when Romberg kicked a crate and when Kimblee sucked his teeth. She sighed and looked back at the guys. "I guess we failed."

Romberg kicked the crate again for the reminder of the mission failure. "No shit."

* * *

"So," Mel asked the next day, eying the bandages on Naminé's arm. "How was your mission?"

Vi's tilted her sunglasses to get a better look at the bandages as well. "Tell me that's not a serious injury."

At lunchtime, Naminé had found herself inside a café with Mel and Vi, a large pizza pie in front of her. She supposed it was because she couldn't face Kimblee and Romberg. Not after the way Gran had yelled at them, claiming that the assignment had been important and if he had known that they would have screwed it up, he would have asked someone else to do the job. Of course, Romberg had muttered that he_ and _Kimblee had never screwed up an assignment until the day before. The suggestion behind the statement made her angry.

Naminé realized that she hadn't answer and took a quick sip from her soda through a straw. "The thugs escaped."

Vi raised her eyebrows and fixed her dark sunglasses to hide her red irises. "That must have been great."

"Not only that, Romberg had the nerve to blame me for it."

"And the other guy?" Mel asked. "What does he think?"

"How the hell would I know," Naminé snapped. "I mean Kimblee called me fat before we even began. Imagine what he thinks now. And Vi," she added, "It's not as bad as it looks."

Vi reached into the pizza pie and took a slice. "That's good."

Mel took a slice as well. "Did it hurt?" She saw Vi looked up at the sky and sighed loudly. The redhead pouted. "I'm serious."

Naminé shook her head. "What do you th---!"

"Excuse us ladies."

Naminé looked up and saw Romberg and Kimblee on either side of her. She twitched and looked back at her drink. She heard the sound of chairs dragging and realized that the guys were sitting next to her. She felt her friends' curious looks and fiddled with her fingers. "What do you want?"

Romberg rested his chin on top of his folded hands. "I realized that I was a little harsh on you this morning. It wasn't _entirely_ your fault."

Kimblee averted his gaze, not even wanting to admit much. "Yeah. What he said."

Naminé scratched her head. "I guess I---!"

Suddenly Mel pounded the table as something occurred to her. "You guys must be the assholes Naminé mentioned just the other day!"

Kimblee raised an eyebrow. "Assholes?"

"Yeah," Mel said, nodding excitedly. "The pervert with no shame and the bomb-happy lunatic."

Naminé sipped her soda loudly, her blue eyes glaring at the redhead. Mel giggled nervously but then muttered 'ow' when Vi elbowed her. The Lightning Alchemist glanced at both young men and saw their expressions. She was about to explain herself but Vi intervened.

"From everything she had told me," Vi stated, "she is well justified to call you that. Not only do you insult her, but you also sexually harass the woman constantly at her job and blame her for your mistakes as well. In addition, you constantly mentioned the fact she's a female. I'm pretty sure Naminé is well aware of that fact. And if you still going to say she's a woman, at least treat her the way one is suppose to be treated. Her name is Naminé not 'babe' or 'whore' or whatever else you call her. Understand?"

There was a silence. _She can't expect us to listen to her,_ Romberg thought. _Kimvblee must agree with me. _However, he was surprised by the Crimson Alchemist's nonchalant response.

"Yeah, you're right," Kimblee said. "I understand perfectly now. Treat her like a human being. Got it."

Naminé stared at the Crimson Alchemist. _Is he serious?_

Suddenly, Kimblee reached for Naminé's soda and stole a sip. He grinned at Naminé's and her friends' expressions as he put the glass down on the table. He stood and so did Romberg. "See you later, babe."

"The nerve of that guy," Vi muttered as she watched the two men walk away. "If he comes near me again, I'll give him a piece of mind."

Naminé stretched her arms. _And you'll be in pieces_, she thought.

Mel looked at the glass. "Are you going to use the straw?"

The Lightning Alchemist pushed the glass away. "Why would I?"

"Well, if you did, it would be like an indirect kiss, you know," Mel chirped. "I mean, he did indirectly kissed you. He did use the straw incase you didn't notice."

Naminé blushed at the idea. "That's more of a reason not---!"

Just then the glass exploded, splashing the girls with soda.

"What just happened?" Mel asked, staring at the stain on her shirt. She let out a groan. "I was just about to go on a date."

Naminé clenched her fists. "That bastard."

**A/N: Finally. I don't know how many chapters this story will have. I want to cover before Ishbal, the immediate aftermath, and then Kimblee's return. So, that's makes a three-part story, right? I have to say expect drama from me because this under the drama category and I'm always have dramatic ideas. Anyway, thanks to Kimimaro's-Angel, XCrimsonXFlameXAlchemistX and ritsuka-hanya for reviewing Chapter 2. If anyone read this chapter, leave a review please. Much appreciated. Well that's it. Maybe the next update won't take a year. :) Later.**


	4. Chapter 4: The Bet's Off

**A/N: It's been a long time since I've updated. This chapter is a little bit shorter than the others but hopefully still as good. Besides that, I hope to put up Chapter 5 over Spring Break. **

**A/N-2 (7/2/12): So I recently got a review but because it was anonymous, I couldn't reply to the reviewer. However, since this problem may apply to more than one person, I'll kinda reply to all here. There is a time skip after Chapter 3, approximately two months. I mentioned this fact in the Isabelle's conversation with Kimblee and Romberg but it may have been a bit too subtle. My fault! **

**CHAPTER 4—The Bet's Off: **

All the clocks in Southern Headquarters were in synch; they all said that it was only ten in the morning. For some, it was the starting time of their job. For Isabelle, it meant that she had to wait two more hours before taking her lunch break.

To keep herself entertained, Isabelle walked with Kimblee and Romberg in the long hallways of Southern HQ toward her superior's office. She had gotten the two men to tag along, to keep her company on her way. However, they were quiet.

It was rather unusually for the two guys. By now, they would remark on something, regardless of its insignificance. That fact made her feel unnerved, wondering if it had something to do with her or another woman. Isabelle's green eyes dashed from one to the other, trying to see beyond the thoughtful expressions. Then she almost laughed. It could in no way pertain to her.

Feeling more confident, Isabelle removed a few platinum blonde strands from her eyes and asked, "So how is it going with Naminé?"

The two men sharply looked up as they jolted out of their thoughts. The blonde waited for an answer.

Kimblee raised an eyebrow. "Why the hell are you suddenly curious?"

Isabelle shrugged. "It's been two months and neither one of you has brag about finally winning your 'game'."

Romberg averted his gaze and frowned, like he had just remembered. "Of course. The game."

It was the blonde's turn to frown. "What's wrong with you two?" Isabelle asked. "Are you giving up already? This would be a first, you know."

"We're not," Kimblee muttered. _Hell, I forgot all about it, _he added to himself. He now realized how much time he had spent hanging around Naminé. All the time he had spent with seemed overwhelming. He had just spent two hours with her yesterday trying to come up with scheme to try on a colonel.

Isabelle stared at the ceiling. "And here I thought you three were friends."

Romberg made a face. "With Naminé? What makes you think that?"

"You three were laughing together after making Gran angry yesterday."

"So?" Romberg retorted.

Kimblee stared down the hallway, seeing two female officers approaching, both deep in conversation. He tried to figure out who they were but they were too far away.

Isabelle sighed again. "In the end, you'll only hurt her."

Romberg folded his arms. "You're making no sense. First you wanted to know how the game was going. Now you're saying the game is messed up. Make up your mind, woman."

Kimblee finally recognized that one of the female officers was Sonia. _Shit_, he thought.

"I was trying to make conversation!" Isabelle pointed out. "You two were walking zombies!"

"Well, if you weren't boring and a little more like-!"

Isabelle threw her hands up in the air."Like what? Or better yet, like who?"

Romberg was speechless. _Should I say it?_

"I'll see you two later," Kimblee muttered, interrupting their argument. Isabelle and Romberg watched as the Crimson Alchemist started to walk away. At first, Romberg thought that their arguing annoyed the guy to the point of leaving. However, he looked down the hallway and understood why.

"Kimblee!"

Kimblee flinched when he heard Sonia's voice but continued to walk as if he didn't hear. When his name echoed down the hallway a second time, he sped up. The moment he got around the corner, he took off, trying to figure out where to go. Then an idea came to him.

Kimblee headed toward the weight room. When he arrived and opened the door, he was surprised to see it was occupied by Naminé. He stood in the doorway for a while, watching her do pushups. She hadn't noticed him yet and he didn't want her to. Not yet. His golden eyes traced the contours of her body, taking in the sight of the sweaty girl. _Probably doesn't give a damn when no one's around, _he thought, noticing how she looked 'unpresentable'.

Kimblee silently walked into the room and took off his military jacket. Then he approached the door and slammed it loudly.

Naminé stopped and turned around. "You're here to work out, too?" She asked, getting out of push-up position and sitting on the floor.

"Kinda," Kimblee thought, his mind going to Sonia. "I didn't think you'd be here though."

"I'm just trying to improve," she stated. Her blue eyes lingered on the visible muscles on Kimblee's arms. _Were they always there?_

Kimblee walked passed her and went to the bench press. He lied down and lifted the dumbbells off its stand. Then he began his workout.

Naminé couldn't help but stare at the young man. She wondered how he made it look so easy for she had tried it and could hardly manage one. Her eyes watched the muscles contract and expanded his arms, how his whole attention was on what he was currently doing. Did all men look like that when it came to trials of strength? Naminé found herself wondering that same question. One of these days, she'd have to observe Romberg working out to see if he was different.

Naminé got off the mat. Using her willpower, she walked over to the other side of the room and started her workout. Everything she did, she was self-conscious about it. She found herself wondering if she looked presentable to Kimblee as she worked out. Her hand sometimes passed in her hair to make sure it wasn't too messy. She started to fix her shirt and worry about how much she was sweating. She even made sure she didn't smell.

When she started to do the lat pull-down, Kimblee came next to her. His golden eyes focused on her before he said, "You're doing it wrong, babe."

"Are you sure?" she asked. Her heart pounded when he came closer.

"Yeah," Kimblee replied. He took her hands and she giggled out of her nervousness. Kimblee ignored the giggles and placed her hands on the bar correctly. "And lock your elbows. One more thing." He placed his hands on her hips and twisted her body. The Crimson Alchemist noticed the blush appearing on Naminé's face and almost wanted to smirk. "That's better."

Naminé stared at Kimblee, watching him take a seat and do bicep curls. _I've never been alone with him before . . . no wonder I'm acting weird. _The Lightning Alchemist noticed that Kimblee's eyes were on her and she quickly averted her gaze. "What's wrong now?"

"Nothing. I've never seen your tattoo before." He got up and pulled down her tank and bra straps off her shoulder to get a better look.

Naminé blushed, thinking that she had missed her opportunity to slap him. "Haven't you heard of personal space?"

"Relax. I just want to see what alchemic array you use." He traced it and saw how her back arched at his touch. Kimblee continued, curious about what she was thinking. _Probably wants to kill me, _he thought.

The door to the weight room opened. Kimblee turned around and saw Romberg. "Is everyone coming in here now?" He asked, already acting like nothing had happened.

"Maybe," Romberg replied, shrugging. He caught Naminé fixing her tank strap back on her shoulder. _Did I miss something?_ _They couldn't have been . . . No. Naminé doesn't seem into that sort of stuff._

"Well, I'm about to leave," Naminé said, gathering her belongings. She headed toward the door, taking a glance at the Crimson Alchemist. He wasn't looking at her but he was smirking. She sucked her teeth out of frustration. She was about to go into the hallway when Kimblee said her last name. She turned around.

"Yeah?"

Kimblee scratched his head. "If you really want to improve your fighting skills, I don't mind teaching you. Incase you're interested."

"I'll think about it." With that statement, she finally left.

Romberg picked up some weights and got down in push-up position. He went down and back up, lifting his left arm. Then he did another push-up, this time lifting his right arm. He did this for a while before glancing at Kimblee. "Hey."

Kimblee raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Our bet."

"What about it? You want to change it again?"

"Actually, I've been thinking about what Isabelle said and she has a point."

Kimblee smirked. "You don't want to hurt her feelings?"

"No. That's the bet is getting no where. It's been too much time and Naminé hadn't drop a hint that she's wooed. And . . ." He grinned. "I think I'm actually interested in her and I want try to woo her for real."

Kimblee's smirk was gone.

When he didn't respond, Romberg glanced at the Crimson Alchemist. He watched as Kimblee reached for his military jacket on his way out. Romberg snickered, enough to make the Crimson Alchemist stop at the door.

"What's so funny?"

"Something tells me you're interested in her as well."

At this, Kimblee laughed. "Why would I be?"

"Then why were you in such a hurry to leave when I'm talking about me wanting her?" Romberg challenged.

Kimblee nonchalantly shrugged. "I don't care for all this love crap. She's all yours, Romberg."

The two men studied the other, trying to see through the other's facade.

_Wow, that was easier than I thought. He just took the news a little too good though._

_I doubt Naminé would be interested in a guy like Romberg._

Romberg sighed and started to do push-ups again. "I'm assuming you must have something important to do if this conversation isn't the reason you're in a hurry."

"Yeah. Paperwork."

The door closed a second after the Crimson Alchemist left the room.

* * *

In the prison, two guards were seated outside a row of cells. One of the guards were reading a magazine while the other sat in silence, staring at the faces of the criminals, all apprehended for different crimes. They all looked the same to him, all unshaven and bored out of their minds. Of course, there were the few he could tell would soon go insane due to the lack of scenery change and the dirty walls of their cells. Out in the hallways, the walls were amazingly white that it was blinding without the lights on.

This man sighed and looked at the other guard, hoping to make conversation. "Any news from with the military?"

The guard looked up from his magazine. "Well, some new alchemists were inducted two months ago or something like that."

"Two months ago?"

The guard flipped the page over. "News reaches here slow. It's not my fault I'm not in the center of it all."

"So, who are the newbies?"

"There are three of them. One of them's a woman."

"You can't be serious."

"Yeah. One of the cooks were discussing it this morning. He was saying it's been a long time since the last female alchemist was inducted into the military. I doubt there was one before anyway." The man put down his magazine on his lap and reached into his shirt pocket. He pulled out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. He took one and lit it.

"Pass me one?"

The guard threw the items careless and the man caught it.

Taking one out, he put it into his mouth and lit it. "So what does she do?"

"Her alchemy is lightning based."

One of the prisoner's ears perked up. He looked out and saw the guards talking about this new alchemist who had just happened to be female. As they continued to talk, the more curious he got. Then they changed the topic to something about tomorrow's meal. The prisoner sat up and swung his legs over the bedside. "What's the name of the alchemist you were talking about?"

The guards frowned. "Huh?"

"That female alchemist, what's her real name?"

"I don't know her first name but her last name is Thomson."

The prisoner narrowed his coal eyes. "Is she related to the late Colonel Thomson by any chance?"

"Possibly. Could be her father."

"Where is she now?"

The guard raised his eyebrows, thinking how weird this Q&A session was. "I believe Southern Headquarters. You know her?"

The prisoner clenched his fists. "We met once. About four years ago. That was the day—!"

When he realized the guards were no longer paying him any mind, the prisoner stopped talking and lied back down. Then the prisoner closed his eyes.

_Is it her? Could it actually be her?_

The prisoner smirked.

_Whoever it is, I'll take my chances._

This prisoner spent the whole night formulating a means of escape. He wanted to find the 'lightning' alchemist and kill her.

**A/N: Hm, wonder who that is. You'll find out next chapter. Thanks to dfxcm for reviewing. I guess that's it. Till later.**


	5. Chapter 5: Nikolai Daniels

**A/N: I meant to get this chapter up sooner but things been hectic. Anyway, enjoy this chapter and I hope it's not boring. The next chapter might take longer to put up because I haven't started it yet. But I'm pretty sure it would be a fun one to write. You'll see why at the end of this chapter.**

**CHAPTER 5—Nikolai Daniels:**

Naminé was in the weight room along with Kimblee and Romberg. The two of them were training her and right now, Romberg was her opponent to spar against. Naminé and him were on a blue mat, their shoes kicked off to the side, circling each other. The Lightning Alchemist stopped and moved in for a punch. Romberg casually dodged and grabbed Naminé by the arm. Then he twisted it behind her back.

"Ow!" Naminé yelped.

She narrowed her dark blue eyes and tried to jerk it free. However, Romberg didn't let go and threw her on the ground, getting down on one knee himself just to hold her there. He looked up at the only spectator. "She still needs practice," he commented to the Crimson Alchemist, jerking her arm more.

"Aren't you overdoing it?" Naminé asked through gritted teeth.

"Just because you're a girl doesn't mean I'll go easy on you. So," Romberg started, focusing on Kimblee and changing the subject, "why did you break up with Sonia?"

Naminé stopped struggling. _He broke up with her? _Her blue eyes landed on the Crimson Alchemist. _When? _She asked herself. Suddenly she smiled, almost feeling elated that he did. It was one way of not seeing the girl who apparently thought of herself as the most superior female at Southern HQ just because she clung onto Kimblee's arm throughout the place. Naminé still remembered how Sonia had believed she was a whore for Romberg. _Now Sonia must be feeling like crap_, the Lightning Alchemist thought.

Naminé tried hiding her grin, but it showed. "Yeah, Kimblee, why?"

Kimblee shrugged, his golden eyes on the brunette. "I just kind of felt like it."

Romberg stood up, letting go of Naminé's arm. "You just felt like it," Romberg reiterated, approaching the wall. Kimblee walked passed him as they made the switch.

"Pretty much, yeah." He stopped in front of the Lightning Alchemist. "Come on. Get up."

Naminé got off the floor and kicked, aiming for his side. Kimblee raised an arm and blocked. Then he grabbed her leg and pulled her in closer. Kimblee punched her in the stomach, causing the woman to double over.

"Is this all you can do, babe?" The Crimson Alchemist asked, dropping her leg.

Naminé, frustrated, tried to kick the man in the groin. The Crimson Alchemist immediately prevented the tragic blow by blocking her kick. Romberg laughed while Kimblee looked horrified. "What the hell?"

The door opened and Basque Gran came inside. He was wearing shorts and a sleeveless shirt, a towel hanging around his neck. He was here to work out. His green eyes glanced at the three people, surprised to see them here. Not because they were together, but because they seemed to be trying to do something constructive. The last month or so, they had been causing trouble especially the Lightning Alchemist. She would find herself in some sort of fight with Kimblee and destroy something valuable. Like the statue of the previous fuhrer. Before her arrival, everything had been peace and quiet. And now . . .

"Hello, Colonel," Romberg said, after a while. "I didn't expect you to be here."

Basque Gran eyed him. "What are you three doing here?"

"Trying to help Thomson improve," he replied, pointing back to the brunette.

"Is she improving? I believe her skills were somewhat lacking before."

Kimblee glanced slyly at Naminé. "They've somewhat improved. Now it takes twenty seconds to get her on the ground, Romberg?"

Romberg grinned. "Something like that."

Naminé rolled her eyes and picked up her stuff, turning her back on them. "I'm done for today. I've had enough abuse." There was no way she was going to embarrass herself in front of Gran. He would only reprimand her for her failure.

Romberg noticed her alchemic tattoo for the first time. "Is that how your alchemy work?"

Naminé glanced over her shoulder, realizing her alchemic array was out in the open. "Yeah. I'm suppose to be able to control the amount of voltage in each bolt with this array. Still trying to control them, though."

"How much are we talking about?"

"More than enough to kill a human."

Colonel Gran looked at her. "Have you killed a human before?"

"I . . ." She thought the one time she almost did but decided it was not best to hint at it. "No. I never did."

"Will you?"

"I don't know, sir."

"So, what was the point improving your alchemy if you won't use it?"

Kimblee took a look at Naminé and stepped it in. "Don't worry. By the end of the year she will have no qualms about killing another human being at all."

The door opened and Isabelle walked in. Behind her, following her footsteps, was a little girl, probably around eight years old. The little girl wore a white hat with a wide brim and a yellow sun dress. Her long dirty blonde hair was in pigtails. The girl peered up, her hazel eyes barely visible under the hat's brim.

"Naminé!" The girl ran in, jumped and hugged the Lightning Alchemist around the middle.

Isabelle scratched her head. "The girl claimed she knows you," she stated.

Naminé smiled, hugging the girl back. "This is my little sister, Kaili."

"I missed you Naminé," Kaili said. "I haven't seen you in months."

"It's only been a few weeks."

"No way. It's definitely been longer than that!"

Naminé looked up at Gran and saw the look on his face. Naminé bit her lip in thought. "She won't be in the way," she carefully said, holding her sister tighter. The Thomson sisters grinned at Gran, one nervous, one genuine.

"I promise not to get in her way," Kaili chirped.

Gran glared at the two.

* * *

In Gran's office, Naminé found herself to be the only one trying to finish her share of the paper. Romberg and Kimblee had managed to finish their shares before her. Something told her the papers had been unevenly distributed. After all, Kimblee had done the splitting. She looked up at the two. They were in deep conversation with Isabelle. Isabelle was so lucky that she was not working under Colonel Basque Gran.

Kaili propped her elbows on the desk and watched her sister. "Are you almost done yet?"

"No," Naminé muttered. She sighed. "Romberg, when are these papers due?"

"About five o'clock. It's only three-thirty now. You have over an hour left so don't fret."

The phone in the office rang and Kimblee picked it up. "Hello? Who's this? Vi?"

Naminé looked up.

Kimblee grinned. "You want to speak to Naminé? See she can't come to the phone right now. She's busy . . . Doesn't matter how important this call is."

Kimblee saw Naminé walking toward him and picked up the phone itself. He continued talking. "Not like the phone can be used for your conversations anyway. You're tying up the line."

He went around the other side of the desk so Naminé couldn't reach him right away.

Kimblee continued. "I don't care if you know alchemy. I can easily transmute you into a bomb and blow you to bits . . . I'm not scared of Naminé and her little lightning bolts. She admitted she couldn't hurt a fly nonetheless an actual person."

Kaili watched as Romberg cut Naminé off. She stared as Naminé tried to get around. "What's going on?" The girl asked Isabelle.

The blonde sighed. "The guys are being themselves."

Kimblee smirked, watching Naminé attack Romberg. "What's was that scream? That's Romberg. He just got a little shocked, that's all—!"

Naminé yanked the phone from the Crimson Alchemist. She put the receiver to her ear. "Hell—!"

"Listen you!" Vi yelled, unknowingly interrupting her friend. "Hand over the freakin' phone to her right now! Don't make come over there!"

Naminé winced. "It's me," she said.

" . . . Oh." Vi cleared her throat, apparently calming down.

The brunette looked back at Kimblee, giving him a dirty look for getting under her friend's skin. She averted her gaze and asked Vi, "So what's so important? Your boyfriend finally proposed?"

There was a pause. "No. Do you remember Nikolai Daniels?"

Naminé frowned. "Nikolai Daniels? Sounds familiar. Who is he?"

Vi sighed, hating to the say the words herself. But if Naminé couldn't remember, who else could remind her? Vi sucked her teeth and sighed deeply. Finally her voice came through the receiver. "He's the man who killed your father."

Naminé narrowed her eyes. "Why bring him up?"

"He . . . he escaped out of prison last night . . . Naminé this is bad. He's after the Lightning Alchemist, you."

"But he doesn't know where I am. Nonetheless where my mother's house is. We moved after that incident."

Romberg gave Naminé a curious look. She had went from okay to dead-serious. He watched her bite her bottom lip from all her pondering. Romberg had a feeling that there was something bad going on and he was sure it concerned her younger sister. He was catching all the side glances in Kaili's direction. He believed that the 'he' referred to a possible ex-boyfriend of hers. Romberg was trying to work out the details when Naminé exploded.

"They what?"

Romberg raised an eyebrow while Kimblee and Isabelle stared in utter confusion.

Naminé sighed, rubbing her temples. "I have to go the train station. Do you mind bringing her back home safely? I would go but that wouldn't be so smart. He might follow me back home . . . thanks."

Naminé put down the receiver. She glanced at the clock and then at the unfinished papers. "Hey, um, Kimblee, Romberg?"

"Yeah, babe?" Kimblee said.

"Can you finish those for me? I have to go the train station. My sister's going back home."

Kaili frowned. "Why? I was suppose to stay the weekend with you! We didn't even have a chance to hang out today because you were working! Naminé!"

"I'll come visit you, I promise."

"But you hate coming home!"

There was a silence as Naminé stared at Kaili for a while, lost in thought. Then she stated, "You don't have an option in this."

"And why do we have to do your share of the papers anyway?" Kimblee muttered. "It's your responsibility." He was about to add on but then he saw the way her eyebrows furrowed and that urgent look in her eyes. Normally, he would pay no heed. But today he couldn't completely ignore that look in her eyes. Just staring into her blue irises made him feel guilty as if he was doing something wrong just by saying no.

Suddenly, Romberg talked for the both of them. "We'll do it, Thomson. It must be important if you're freaking out over it. Just fill us in later, okay?" _Sounds like some crazy psychotic boyfriend she had._

He was taken back by Naminé's display of gratitude. He found himself with the brunette's arms around his neck, pulling him to hug. Almost immediately, his arms wrapped around her middle.

"Thanks, Romberg."

He looked at Isabelle and Kimblee, uncertainty written all over his face. "Sure. No problem."

* * *

It was an hour later when Kimblee was on the last paper and Romberg had just started on his second to last. Kimblee's golden eyes landed on the clock and saw that it was four-thirty. _Not bad_, he thought to himself. Suddenly, Isabelle came in the room, clutching today's newspaper. "It's all over the place!"

"What is?" Kimblee asked, his eyes back on the papers he was trying to finish.

Isabelle sat on the desk that Kimblee was working at. She tried to be somewhat seductive; she heard about Sonia being his girlfriend no more. "Nikolai Daniels breaking out of prison last night."

Romberg's head shot up. "Didn't Naminé mention him on the phone?"

"Yeah," the blonde said, holding the newspaper already open to the article. "Listen to this: 'Nikolai Daniels, now age 37, broke out of Amestris Maximum Security Prison. He had a life sentence to serve for the murder of the late Colonel James Thomson. However, the negligence of the guards allowed the criminal to escape. One of the guards admitted that he knows where the man is going.' It says here that he could possibly be coming to Southern HQ."

"Any particular reason why?" Kimblee asked.

Isabelle rolled her eyes. "Hello? James _Thomson_. Naminé _Thomson_. Obvious connection."

"I know that," the Crimson Alchemist muttered. "I mean, why come after Naminé? She's not that special."

"Well," Isabelle said, her eyes scanning the article. "According to this article, Naminé was the whole reason he was apprehended. He probably wants revenge."

_So much for my psychotic-boyfriend-theory_, Romberg thought.

"Let me get this straight," Romberg stated. "Naminé is wondering out the town by herself while some deranged killer is after her? Why didn't she tell us? I would have walked her there and back."

At that moment, the door opened and Basque Gran strolled in. "Where's Thomson?"

"She left, sir," Romberg stated.

"Is that woman a fool? Are telling me that she was not aware of the current situation? She is not suppose to leave the safety of this building!"

"I would have stopped her if I had known before she ran out, Colonel."

Naminé came into the room, surprised to see Basque Gran in the room. "Colonel?"

He turned around. "Where's your sister?"

"I sent her home already. I heard about Daniels and I figured she'd be safer at home than here." Naminé realized that he was aware of her connection in this whole fiasco and knew she would be reprimanded for it. It was better to tell the whole truth instead of it in parts. Not that it would make much of a difference with Colonel Basque Gran.

The man gritted his teeth. "You are not to leave this headquarters without escorts. Do you understand, Lightning Alchemist?"

Naminé looked at the carpeted floor. "Yes sir."

Gran faced the others. "Kimblee, Romberg, you'll be her escorts. For the next few days, you'll be taking Lightning from her house to HQ and back. You'll live with her and keep her under a twenty-four hour surveillance."

Kimblee smirked. "No problem, sir." Crimson thought that the situation would be interesting. Romberg grinned because he was slightly happy with the conditions of this arrangement. He wondered what Gran meant by 24-hour-surveillance. Surely there were loopholes. The only one who wanted to die was Naminé. There was no way she could live with those two in the house. She preferred a testosterone-free environment.

**A/N: So next chapter will be the arrangement and the introduction of Nikolai Daniels. You'll learn the history. Hopefully the next update won't take forever. Thanks to dfxcm for reviewing. Till later.**


	6. Chapter 6: Bounded

**A/N: I know it's been a long time since the last update. But I've been so preoccupied with everything else like RPG and school and well, other things. But now the summer is approaching and I hope to keep the chapters flying. Although this was a long time ago, thanks to Envy333333 for reviewing and any who added this story to their favorites/alerts list. It makes me feel that some people still think of this story. :) Sorry that this chapter is a bit long but thing of it as a make up for all the updates that I missed.**

**CHAPTER 6 - Bounded:**

_-FLASHBACK-_

The doorbell rang. Vi and Naminé stopped playing their board game and broke out into grins. Even four-year-old Kaili was grinning as well. After their stomachs had growled for what seemed like forever, the pizza was finally here to full them up. It was strange that the delivery guy was here in thirty minutes. The pizza place said that the pizza would arrive in an hour's time. However, the three girls thought nothing of it and assumed that the delivery guy had really been on the move.

"I'll get it!" Naminé said. She got up and ran to the door. Quickly, she opened it and stared at the man outside. She sighed. It was not the delivery man. She knew it had been too early.

The man removed his hat and gave a kind smile. "Is Colonel James Thomson here? I'm a reporter. I want to interview him if he doesn't mind. Surely you know about his previous case."

Naminé turned around. "Dad! There's someone here who wants an interview with you!" His last case. What had it been? She smiled. How could she forget. It was the one where he had stopped a mass murderer from taking another life. The serial killer had died during the struggle but even so, she had been so proud of her father. He was truly amazing at what he did for the military. They were lucky to have him.

Her father came downstairs. He was only thirty-nine, barely touching forty. His brown hair was in a mess but that was his usual look. That and his newly shaved face. A surprised look came over his kind features. "Really? You want to interview me?" He asked, clearly surprised. He came over and shook the unknown man's hand.

The stranger nodded. "I'm Nick Seether," he introduced himself as. "It's a pleasure to meet the great Colonel Thomson."

"How about we do the interview in the kitchen?" James suggested. "I don't want to be in the girls' way."

"Come on dad," Naminé said. "I want to hear it."

"Yeah, Mr. Thomson," Vi said from inside the living room. "I want to hear it too."

"Me, three!" Kaili chirped.

Mr. Seether looked at the girls. "No. Your father's right. We should have the interview in the kitchen in private. It makes my job a bit easier." There were a few groans but the reporter smiled all the same. Naminé wondered if he knew how strained that one smile looked.

"I'll show you the way to the kitchen," Colonel Thomson said, leading the way. Mr. Seether placed his hat back on his head, nodded at the girls, and followed.

_-END FLASHBACK-_

"Hey, Naminé."

The woman opened her eyes and saw Kimblee looking down at her. Immediately she sat up on the couch. She was so disorientated that she failed to notice that he had addressed her by her real name. "Where's Romberg?"

Basque Gran had appointed Kimblee and Romberg as bodyguards. Naminé was fine with that part but she was not fine with the two men living with her until Nikolai Daniels was apprehended. Supposedly, the twenty-four-seven thing was part of the bodyguard's job. Naminé knew that the precautions were reasonable but still found them annoying. She could protect herself. She was certain of it. However, the men of the military didn't think so and now she had to share her apartment with the two.

"Shower," Kimblee replied, seeing the exasperated look on the woman's face. She really didn't seem happy with all this. Oh well. "Are you cooking tonight?"

"Why?" Naminé asked. She had seen this coming. "If you're hungry, you can look for something. You're a man, not a baby."

Kimblee sat down next to her. "I thought the woman of the house is supposed to cook."

Naminé narrowed her blue eyes. "That's a bit sexist, isn't it, Kimblee?"

He smirked. "Only if you see that way, babe."

The bathroom door opened and Romberg came out, a towel wrapped around him. This was embarrassing. His clothes were still in the living room and it was just his luck that Naminé was sitting outside there. _Come on Thad_, he told himself and swallowed his pride. He came out and ignored her shocked stare. "I forgot my stuff," he said, picking up his bag and looking at the woman. Surprisingly, she was looking the other way now, a blush across her features. He grinned. "Naminé. You only have to stare at my chest you know, nothing too important."

Naminé rolled her eyes. "I don't want to be looking in case that towel falls."

Kimblee laughed. "Figures. You probably never had a boyfriend nonetheless got kissed by one."

"I had a boyfriend before," Naminé protested. "And he did kiss me."

Kimblee raised an eyebrow. "Really? Did you cook for him?"

Naminé narrowed her eyes. It was like he never gave up. "Just drop the subject, okay? If you're so hungry, cook for yourself."

"Why don't we just go out for dinner?" Romberg suggested, trying to dissolve the tension. He was clutching his towel around his waste, not willing for it to drop. If it did, Naminé probably wouldn't talk to him ever again. He shrugged when the two alchemists looked at him. "You know, so we won't have to worry about who cooks."

"Sounds good to me," Kimblee said. The man stood up, figuring he should get ready. He was about to walk away but then turned around and faced the woman. He grinned. "You're paying?"

"Gee," Naminé said, her voice full of sarcasm. "What do you think?"

* * *

He watched.

He stared at her apartment complex from across the street, waiting in silence. He had wanted to follow her inside but she had been with two other men. Military men to be specific. They hadn't looked tough but he didn't want his target to escape during the inevitable scuffle. He didn't escape from prison just to allow her to slip through his clutches. After a few hours, he finally saw the two men emerged out of the building. Instead of their military uniforms, they were casually dressed. One had a silver pocket watch on him. An alchemist no doubt. The man waited. After a minute, _she _came outside, her own pocket watch hanging from her skirt's belt loops. As they headed down the street, he followed on the opposite sidewalk.

She, Naminé Thomson, was laughing at one of the men's antics on the street. He was riskily walking backward, his eyes on her, his arms moving in such an exaggerated fashion. The other one, the alchemist, was lost in his own thoughts. Soon, Thomson elbowed him, a grin on her face. The alchemist looked at her, simply smirked, and looked away again. She giggled at his response. Why was she so happy, the man wondered as he followed. Didn't she know that he was looking for her, that he wanted to take her life away? She didn't deserve such happiness. She deserved torture, misery, and death.

He narrowed his eyes, trying to imagine the different ways he would kill her, hurt her as she laughed with merriment.

* * *

"We're here," Naminé happily announced. She walked in and her two bodyguards, after a brief exchange of glances, followed her inside. The diner was very old-fashion. The floor tiles were red and the creamy wallpaper was starting to peel off. Still the place had a homey quality to it with the cinnamon smell and the people that just seemed to be like part of the place. The three military personnel found an empty round table and sat down. Then they looked at their menus. A couple of minutes later, the waitress arrived.

"Can I take your order?" She asked, glancing at the three.

Romberg looked at the menu again. Nothing seemed that appetizing and he wasn't sure what to choose. He tilted his head in Naminé's direction. "Whatever she decides on."

"Same here," Kimblee said.

"Um, okay," Naminé said, trying to find something that all three of them would like. "Sloppy Joe then with a . . . an ice tea."

"You're really not concerned about your figure, are you?" Kimblee smirked. He heard the bell chimed but didn't bother looking; Naminé had just kicked him under the table. He grimaced and gave the woman a dirty look.

The waiter noticed Naminé's pocket watch. "Oh. A woman with a military pocket watch . . . You must be the Lightning Alchemist. Word is that some serial killer is after you."

Naminé sharply looked up. So rumors were already starting to fly. It made sense that this part of town was on high alert. Nikolai Daniels had to be somewhere in the surrounding area because she didn't live far from here. For all she knew, he could be watching her right now. Along with the other customers in the place. "He's not a serial killer," she stated. "He only killed one person."

The waitress gave a tiny, sympathetic smile. "I also heard he wants to make you his second. You shouldn't be walking around so late at night."

"We're her bodyguards," Romberg told the waiter. "Nothing can nor _will _get pass us. Not on my watch"

"Really?" The waitress smiled. "You must be pretty strong men to be assigned such a job."

"We are," Kimblee said in a nonchalant tone. "The best of the best."

The Lightning Alchemist rolled her eyes. "I think that's enough compliments," Naminé said. "They don't need their heads to swell any bigger." She wanted the waitress to leave now. She didn't want to think about the past too much and bringing up Nikolai Daniels wasn't helping. Every thing of that night was flashing before her eyes, every single one of her mistakes.

The waitress started to walk away but then stopped. She turned around and looked back at the Lightning Alchemist. "If I were you, I wouldn't ask for bodyguards. I would handle it on my own. I wouldn't want the people around me getting involved. He might try to find another way to get to me. My friends, my family, even the innocent if he's desperate enough."

A serious expression donned the woman's features. "I'll keep that in mind," Naminé said.

* * *

"_What was that?" Kaili asked. Vi and Naminé exchanged worried looks but neither replied to the little girl's question. The noise had come from the kitchen. It had been a rather sickening sound and none of them had liked it. Mentally drawing the longer straw, Vi stood up and started to walk to the hallway. However, Mr. Seether came to the living room before she could leave. Vi had started to back up when a child's petrified scream filled the room._

_So much blood on his clothes, _Naminé thought. She was awake but had yet to open up her eyes. She could still visualize the way he had looked that day. Back then, an eternity must have passed before she realized whose blood it was. The bedroom door opened and her blue eyes snapped open, staring at the ceiling. Heart thumping, she sat up and saw who it was. Immediately, her heart rate slowed down substantiously as she sighed out of relief. _I'm such an idiot. Why would Daniels be here?_

"Hurry up," Kimblee said. "Me and Romberg are ready to go to work. We would ditch but I don't think Gran would appreciate us showing up without you."

"Of course," she said, looking out the window. "I'll get ready."

Ten minutes passed. Naminé was on the sidewalk, walking between Romberg and Kimblee. The atmosphere was different today. They were walking in silence while the men shifted their glances in the woman's direction. She didn't notice; she was too focused on her own problems.

Romberg sighed. "What's wrong, Naminé? You're acting . . . Weird."

She frowned. "In what way?"

"You seem down about something," he finally said after some time.

She looked away. "I just didn't get a lot of sleep last night. That's all."

"Oh." It was a stupid response but what else could be said if the woman didn't want to talk about it? Romberg was tempted to tell her that with him nothing would happen but he held his tongue. For some reason, he believed saying such a thing would upset her.

"Nightmares?"

Romberg looked at Kimblee in surprise. The Crimson Alchemist had been acting so indifferent so he found it odd that he was asking a question. He saw that Naminé made a face and knew that Kimblee had asked the wrong question.

"It wasn't that," she replied curtly.

"Really?" Kimblee said with a smirk, his voice full of disbelief. "Then why were you talking about your dead father last night?"

Naminé stopped walking. "You were in my room?"

"I was checking to see if you were there."

"And why wouldn't I be there, Kimblee? Give me one. Good. Reason."

Kimblee gave Naminé a hard stare before sucking his teeth and looking away. Did he actually want to say that he had believed that she would chase after Daniels in the middle of the night? Not really because that would be showing his concern for her. Besides, it was too early to argue with the woman and she seemed like she was in a foul mood.

Southern HQ loomed in front of them. The three military dogs started to walk up the stairs but halted. At the very top was Basque Gran. Naminé looked at her pocket watch. They couldn't be late - there was still ten minutes to spare. "Sir?" she questioned.

"I need Crimson for a mission today," Gran stated.

"Me?" Kimblee reiterated, glancing at Naminé. "I thought I had guard duty."

"Lightning will be fine without you," Gran said. "Romberg will be with her."

"That's reassuring," Kimblee muttered. Romberg gave him a dirty look. However, the Crimson Alchemist didn't notice. He was too busy studying the woman next to him. Did she honestly believe that he didn't notice that smirk on her lips? The woman was happy that he would be gone. Either she hated him that much or was happy to be spending some 'quality time' with Romberg.

"I'll miss you," Naminé said to Kimblee.

"Yeah, I'll miss you, too, babe."

_He has no idea_, she thought. With Kimblee out of the way, her plan would move smoothly. Romberg was easier to fool than Kimblee. He trusted her a whole lot more.

Kimblee looked away from Naminé. _What are you up to?_

* * *

"What's up with the wig?" Vi asked Mel. "You want to be a brunette for a day? Or are you trying to avoid a guy you cheated on?" Mel had invited the young woman over to her place because she needed some help. Vi had not been sure what sort of help was required and when she had finally arrived, she found it very odd that Mel was styling and cutting a wig on a plastic head. Vi had sat in the small apartment bedroom with Mel, watching the brown curls hit the floor. What was even more odd, the wig was starting to resemble Naminé's hairstyle.

Mel rolled her eyes. "Of course not," she said. "Naminé told me they need my assistance for a special mission. I have to be her look-alike and lure out this Daniels guy."

"Okay," Vi said, doubt in her voice. "But do you really think that Naminé would put you in harm's way?"

"She didn't want to but one of her bodyguards told her to do it," Mel explained. "Apparently he wants to meet me and take me out for dinner." She retrieved a bag in the corner of the room and pulled out red wig.

"And Naminé will be disguised as a redhead," Vi said slowly, trying to imagine Naminé with the wig on.

"Yep. I have to meet her in two hours and do the switch. It's going to be so cool. A mission with a gorgeous hunk."

Vi narrowed her eyes. This whole plan sounded very wrong and risky. Not only that, something sounded fishy about it. However, she couldn't place what that was now. Mel had just turned around with the Naminé wig on, asking how she looked. "Less makeup," Vi suggested. "She hardly wears any."

* * *

_Back at Southern HQ . . . _

Romberg looked at his watch, counting the last few seconds away. When the minute hand went over the twelve, he stood out of his seat, abandoning the load of paperwork on his desk. It was finally break. He sauntered over to where Naminé was working furiously. "Hey, Naminé?" The young woman looked up at him, curiosity written all over her face. He looked away, blushing a bit. "Do you want to go get lunch? The two of us?"

Naminé smiled. The opportunity that she had been waiting for had finally arrived. "Okay. Let's go."

"Really?" Romberg said, a bit surprised at the new revelation. "You really want to?"

Naminé nodded enthusiastically. "I really want to. Especially since _Kimblee _isn't here to interrupt us."

He watched her leave her job. This time, only one man was by her side. "She got rid of the alchemist," he muttered under his breath. She allowed the man to wrap an arm around her waist and pull her close to him. He waited for them to get a good distance away. Then he followed. He wasn't sure when but eventually that man would leave her side and then he would move in for the kill.

* * *

Naminé and Romberg arrived at the café. She then told him that she needed to go to the restroom and dashed in. Mel was waiting inside. When Naminé came in, she raised the shopping bag in her hand. "Your wig's in here," she chirped.

The Lightning Alchemist examined Mel's outfit and frowned. Her friend was wearing a miniskirt, a tube top, and high heel shoes. "You expect me to switch into that?" She asked, slightly horrified.

"It covers everything that needs to be covered," Mel said, reaching into the bag and pulling out her Naminé wig. She put it on, adjusting it only slightly and then looked into the mirror. "Just take off your clothes so we can make the switch."

Naminé walked into a stall and started to undo her jacket's buttons. "Do me a favor, Mel?"

"Sure. What is it?"

"When you're me, really pretend that you're me," Naminé said. "You see, this whole operation is between Kimblee and me. Romberg is out of the loop so he can be realistic. He's a crappy actor and therefore you can't tell him about all this." Lies upon lies. She hated this more than anything. She wished that Kimblee was here just so he can see through her plan and put a stop to all this. However, he wasn't and she was so close to the end.

"Okay," Mel grinned as she entered the next stall. "This is so exciting. My first real mission with the military and it's with a cute guy."

"I know what you mean," Naminé said, wishing she had a bar of soap to wash her mouth out. She was blatantly lying through her teeth and wondered about how much longer this charade would last. Romberg might notice the swap. He couldn't be that dense. As the skirt came over the top of the stall and Naminé traded for it with her pants, she hoped that everything would go accordingly to plan. She wanted to close this chapter of life by herself without any help.

* * *

He saw two women walk out of the restroom simultaneously. He frowned. Something was off with her. She didn't seem to look right. Then he realized what it was. The eye - it was green instead of blue. As if he had pointed out the mistake to them, the imposter took out a pair of sunglasses and put it on. The other woman lifted up her hair. His eyes widened as he licked his lips with anticipation. The one who was dressed in revealing clothing had a tattoo of an alchemic array. It was her in a disguise and most likely she was considering on ditching her bodyguard. The imposter went back to the eating area; she left the café all together. The man got out of his hiding place and started to follow.

* * *

Naminé entered the lobby of her apartment complex. She then pulled off the red wig and smoothed out her own hair. She looked over her shoulder. Did her plan fail? The woman had given so many dead giveaways like swinging her pocket watch or revealing her alchemic tattoo. She had hoped Nikolai Daniels would be hot on her trial for she wanted to get this confrontation over with. This time, she would not hesitate to kill him like she had four years ago.

She walked up the stairs all the way to her floor and then headed for her apartment door. As she pushed the key into the doorknob, she looked around. No one was in the hallway with her. Then she heard footsteps echoing from the stairwell. Did she actually want to go through with this? That was the question she asked herself as her blue eyes gazed down the hallway. Unfortunately, she had no time to come up with an answer; the man appeared out in the open. Naminé looked at him, removing her hand from the doorknob. She could no longer run.

"Nikolai Daniels?" She questioned.

The man grinned. "Naminé Thomson, the Lightning Alchemist." He ran toward her and the woman outstretched her arm in front, preparing to snap her fingers. But she was too slow.

* * *

Kimblee had just come back from the grueling task that Gran forced him to partake in and now he was tired. He saw the empty office and the amount of unfinished paperwork. The man groaned. There was no way in hell he would bother helping Naminé and Romberg. He wasn't in the mood. The phone rang and he glanced at it, slightly pissed off. Although he didn't want to, he picked it up. He didn't want to chance ignoring one of the upper-ups. "Hello?"

"Is Naminé there?"

The Crimson Alchemist sighed. It was one of Naminé's friends. Again. "No she's not. Who's this?"

"Vi. You're Kimblee, right?"

He raised an eyebrow before smirking. "I am."

"Explain to me what this mission is about."

The man made a funny face. "Mission?"

"Yeah. The one where you needed Mel to pretend to be Naminé."

"No clue what you're talking about," he said in a nonchalant manner.

"But Naminé said you knew."

Kimblee snorted. "I guess that means she lied to you."

There was a momentary silence before Vi groaned over the phone. "I'm such an idiot. I knew this was bad."

"I don't have all day on the phone, so whatever it is you want to say, spit it out already."

"I think Naminé went looking for Daniels."

Kimblee laughed. "Do you know how stupid she would have to be?"

"Are you telling me you never once got that feeling from her? That she was on the verge of being stupid?" When Kimblee didn't say a word, Vi went off into a rant. "I knew leaving her in your care was the dumbest mistake of my life! You don't understand her in the slightest! You're too busy being blinded by testosterone! You and that other guy are morons! Pure, foolish morons! If I was there, I would -!"

Kimblee hanged up the phone, missing the end of that statement. The phone rang again but the man didn't bother answering it. He would only end up wasting precious time. He had to go find where Romberg was. That man was the only moron around here.

* * *

Naminé's eyes opened up and she looked at her surroundings. She recognized the inside of her apartment instantly but didn't understand how she ended up in the living room. Pulling her arms, the woman realized that they were bounded by ropes that held them against the back of the chair. She struggled to set herself free but to no avail. _Damn it._

"You're up." Daniels appeared out into the open, staring at the woman. He licked his lips as he pictured the way he was going to make her pay. But first he would take his time, make sure the fear appeared in her eyes. She was going to die as a broken woman. He took a chair off the wall and placed in front of the woman. Then he sat and stared at her. "I've waited for so long for this moment," he stated, taking out a knife out of his pocket. "Four long years I've wanted to kill the bitch that put me in jail. And here you are, beautiful and tied up. So vulnerable. This is so satisfying that it hurts."

"Bastard." The simple word earned a slap.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk," Daniels said, lifting the knife in front of his face. His eyes examined the piece of metal as mental images of pressing it against Naminé's red cheek filled his mind. The man could easily picture the knife slicing through her skin. He sighed. "Do you remember that night? When I killed your father?"

The Lightning Alchemist narrowed her eyes. "I remember well."


	7. Chapter 7: Looking Back

**A/N: It's been a long time, hasn't it? This chapter has been ready for a while now but I hadn't put it up right away. I'm still working on Chapter 8 so hopefully that will be done and posted soon. Anyway, thanks to thegriffin88 for reviewing. Enjoy.**

**CHAPTER 7-Looking Back:**

_-FLASHBACK-  
_As she struggled with the murderer, Naminé flinched. Kaili had just screamed, meaning Vi and Kaili had just went through the kitchen and had seen the body. Mr. Seether threw the teenage girl off and Naminé hit the wall. She slid down and she glared at the man. The distraction had given Vi and Kaili enough time to escape but what about her? Pushing against the wall, Naminé got back onto her two feet.

"I'm sorry," the man said, picking his hat off the floor. After dusting it off, he placed it on the small table and turned toward her with a smile. "I wasn't going to hurt you girls but I had a changed of heart. Why should pieces of him live on when I want him completely dead?"

Naminé had been trying not to cry but the mention of her father brought the first few tears out. She stared at the man, slowing edging for the living room entrance. Most likely Vi had taken her sister upstairs. She would have to meet them. However that would not be any time soon; Mr. Seether was making his way over to her, a blank look in his eyes.

"You look like your father, especially around the eyes. It . . . Sickens me." When he was less than a foot away, he reached and grabbed her neck. He could feel her nails clawing at his arm but it did not affect him in the slightest. She was struggling to breath, to live, and for some reason this notion excited him.

"Naminé!"

Before he could respond, he felt something hard swing into his side. He left go of Naminé and screamed in pain. "UGH! YOU _BITCH_!"

Vi dropped the broom and grabbed Naminé's hand. Quickly, she pulled the girl off the floor and dragged her out of the living room. "Come on," Vi urged, tugging her through the kitchen. Naminé didn't get the chance to see her father's body; she only saw his feet sticking out from behind the center counter. It was then that Naminé's feet began to move. She wanted to run away from this nightmare. Still, she knew that was impossible. Not when the evidence was on the floor and the uneven footsteps were heard behind her.

They reached the second floor and Vi pulled Naminé into the study where Kaili sat on the floor silently crying. Paying no mind to the Thomson sisters, Vi wasted no time in locking the door. Then she tried to push the desk in front of the door. However, it was too heavy to move by herself. She looked at her friend. The brunette seemed lost in her thoughts and although Vi felt that the girl needed to mourn, she would have to do that later - as of right now, all three of their lives were in danger. "Naminé," Vi said slowly. "I need help. _Now_." Naminé stared in confusion before she went over to help Vi move the desk.

"Naminé," Kaili said, sniffling, her voice on the verge of cracking. "Are we going to die like Daddy?"

Naminé didn't know what to say. The girl felt that she was at her wits end. She was only a fourteen year old girl who didn't know anything about the world and had not prepared for this day. They, two teenage girls and a child, were dealing with a murderer, a freaking _murderer _that had taken down the man Naminé never thought she would see fall. The girl wasn't sure of what to do in this situation. They were trapped and once the man broke into the room, they would die.

Vi glanced at her friend and then at Kaili. "We're not going to die," she said, a blaze behind her eyes. "I _refuse _to die."

"How is that possible when we have nothing!" Naminé yelled, causing Kaili to cry again. "We have no weapons, no way to defend ourselves! We're trapped in this room, waiting for death!"

"Shut up," Vi said. "He'll hear us."

"It doesn't matter!" Naminé shrieked. "He'd find us either way! You know it, Vi! Don't act so high and mighty!"

There was an inexplicable urge to grab the brunette's head and shake it. She knew that they were barely hanging onto a string but if the string was still there, then there was hope. She wasn't going to simply let go because of such stupidity. "Just because your father's dead doesn't give you a reason to act irrational!" Vi looked away from her friend and started to pace the room. She needed to think of something that would help. There had to be something in this room. The girl looked around and saw a strange book on the shelf. She pulled it off and examined the cover. "Naminé?"

"What?" Naminé muttered. She was sitting on the floor, trying to comfort her sister and herself. Maybe Kaili was buying but the teenager couldn't. Her mind was not so naïve anymore.

"You said that your father was showing you a bit of alchemy, right? How to do it and stuff." Vi held the book against her chest, her eyes on Naminé. The brunette simply looked at her and then at the book. Without a word, she stretched her hand out for it and Vi passed it to her.  
_-END FLASHBACK-_

"And the Lightning Alchemist was born," Kimblee smirked. "She never mentioned that."

"Why would she?" Vi rhetorically asked, not expecting an answer of any sort.

Shortly after Kimblee had gotten off the phone, he had ran into Romberg and the Naminé lookalike. The unmasking had been relatively simple. All he did was ripped off the wig to expose one of Naminé's friends. Mel had given the two officers a brief rundown of what the Lightning Alchemist had said. Vi had arrived to Southern HQ ten minutes later; she had called from a payphone while she had been on her way to check on Mel. The confusion had been settled rather quickly and the four people split into pairs. Romberg and Mel went off searching in one part of the city while Vi and Kimblee went off into another to do the same. So far in the past half hour or so, neither pair had found Naminé.

"She hated thinking about that part of her past," Vi said after a brief moment of silence. "She always blamed herself because she opened the door that night. She never forgave herself for it."

"So now she thinks that she can get killed and atone that way, huh? She's one stupid chick."

Vi narrowed her eyes. Unfortunately, her sunglasses prevent him from seeing the menacing look. "She is not stupid. As I said, out of the two of us, _I_ know her better."

"The only thing I got from you was that Thomson has some daddy issues," he muttered. Vi pushed the man as hard as she could. Instead of retaliating, Kimblee smirked. Apparently, his comment about Naminé had offended her. _Figures_, he thought.

"Let's just hurry up and find Naminé," Vi said. "I can't stand being around you."

"For all we know, Naminé is probably dead," Kimblee muttered.

Vi stopped walking and turned around to face him. "What?"

"She obviously went looking for Daniels and most likely, she found him. If she was okay, don't you think that we would have heard that she killed him by now?"

"Don't say that," Vi warned.

"The least we can do is find her body."

Vi was horrified at what he said. Shaking her head, she turned around and started to walk away as fast as possible. She was not dealing with such a man. Did he think she wanted to hear about the possibility of Naminé being dead? She shook head once more in disbelief. The man was such an idiot. "I'm looking for her without you."

"Suit yourself," Kimblee said and walked the opposite direction. The alchemist wasn't sure where he was going to look for Naminé but he would think of something. He felt someone grab onto his arm and he turned around. It was Vi.

"Wait," she said. "I-!"

Kimblee took his arm back and gave her a smug look. "What a surprise. You don't feel so high and mighty anymore, do you?"

Vi narrowed her eyes behind her glasses. "Look. I . . . need you help."

"Of course you do," he said.

Vi didn't comment. Her pride was not as important as her friend's life.

* * *

"She could be anywhere," Mel told Romberg as they walked through the town.

"I wonder if Kimblee had better luck finding her," Romberg muttered.

"You think she's okay?" Mel really wanted Naminé to be. The thought of her dying like that seemed so impossible to the girl and yet it was a possibility that might become reality. She stared at the ground, an obvious frown on her face. When they found Naminé, would it be too late? That was the only nagging question that crossed her mind.

Romberg looked at her and almost read her mind. "Naminé will be fine. She's too strong to let herself get killed. That's why she's the Lightning Alchemist. She's a fast thinker."

"I thought it was because she could create Lightning."

"That too," he sighed. He looked up ahead and was surprised to see Kimblee and Vi. Not only had they felt they were covering the entire town, now they were running into each other's designated areas. "Kimblee!" The alchemist stopped and looked at him. Romberg waved him and Vi over. "I don't know where else to look for her," he told them when they were in a small group again.

"We've looked everywhere," Vi said. "In town at least. He could have easily moved her to another location."

"But someone would have noticed!" Mel protested. "I doubt he has a car to hide her inside."

"She's probably dead somewhere," Kimblee said. His voice was so casual that it was unnerving. The alchemist could already feel Vi's heated glare. He looked at her from the corner of his eye. "She's been missing for over an hour. What are the chances of her still breathing? If I was the man I would have killed her already and dumped the body into a river by now."

"Don't joke like that!" Vi yelled.

"Who says I'm joking?" That response earned a scream of anger.

"Kimblee," Romberg said warningly. "At least use some tact if you're going to mention that possibility so early."

"So you agree?" Mel asked, her voice rather quiet. "That's not what you said before."

Romberg sighed. "Is there anywhere else that we haven't checked?"

"What could be left?" Kimblee said.

"What about her apartment?" Mel suggested, her eyebrows furrowing together.

"I doubt that," Kimblee said. "That would be stupid of the killer. Not to mention Naminé. We could easily interrupt her little revenge scheme . . ." His voice trailed off as he reconsidered the possibility. For once, the man seemed serious about this. He put his hands in his pockets. "Maybe she is that stupid. You two wait here. We'll come back in thirty minutes if we don't see Naminé. If we take longer than that, then you can guess what's going on."

"Why can't we come with you?" Vi demanded.

"You'll just get in the way," Romberg simply said. "It's bad enough that we involved you with military business. We're not going to involve you in anything else." Romberg gave the women a quick nod and took off running. Kimblee followed.

* * *

Naminé glared at the man sitting before her. What was he waiting for? Was there a certain time he wanted to kill her? The chime of the living room clock broke the silence. Maybe Daniels was thinking about his brother, the one that the late Colonel Thomson killed. She knew her father had not meant to do it but she had accepted it; he had taken down the mass serial killer. However, she had never guessed that it would lead to his death months later when the younger brother took on the role of Mr. Seether, a phony journalist.

"Where to start," Daniels said, his eyes on the young woman. "Do I carve out your face? Dehumanize you? Humiliate you even? There are so many things to do to a tied up woman."

Naminé didn't say a word. Silently, she tried to get her hands out of the ropes. She pulled her arms in all sort of directions, her wrists becoming sore and red. Suddenly she felt a sharp pain. That move had not settled fine with her bones. She took a break and tried to think of another way out. " 'So many things to do to a tied up woman,' " Naminé repeated and then muttered under her breath, "I could only imagine the things running through your sick mind."

Daniels stood up and placed his hands on her shoulders, forcing her to stare into his eyes. "You know what your father's last words were to me?" He asked. He cleared his throat and attempted the imitation to the best of his abilities. " 'Please don't hurt the girls'. He begged me not to hurt you. That was his last dying wish. And you know what I told him? I told him that I simply could not do that. So he died miserable, worrying about your lives. That was just my way of opening the wound and pouring acid into it. He couldn't have died a more painful way. He deserved it after what he had done to my brother."

"He was doing his job as a military personnel!"

"And I was doing my job as a brother! But you wouldn't understand that. Instead of sacrificing yourself to atone for your father's sins, you were all 'Daddy, Daddy' and decided to try to kill me. But you didn't finish the job and left me in a barely conscious state to live out the humiliation. You had me arrested because of a judgment I had passed."

"What judgment?"

"You military dogs are all the same. Thinking you're above the law and that you could get away with murder of any form."

"Stop being a hypocrite," Naminé said. "You're brother killed so many people. Are you saying he should be allowed to get away with that?"

"The men that my brother killed were criminals that the law couldn't reach."

"I see." Her tone was flat now that she had finally figured it all out. "Your brother was one of those deranged people who consider themselves gods."

Daniels grabbed her mouth. His pointer finger and thumb squeezed her cheeks in. Quickly, he forced her mouth open. He put his knife inside her mouth and pushed it against the corner of her mouth. He pushed slowly and forcefully, waiting for the flesh to start to split. "It's not surprising that you would say that," he muttered. "When your attack missed in the hallway, I thought you were different, that you had a change of heart. Obviously I was wrong. You're just like every other military dog."

Naminé closed her eyes shut, tasting the metal that was trying to cut her mouth open. It felt that her mouth couldn't stretch any longer and she wondered when it finally split open. Why did she had to be so stupid? Was this worth the revenge she had planned? _I'm so pathetic,_ she thought angrily to herself. _Why am I so-! _

The man pulled out the knife, grazing her tongue. He examined the knife. "Wrong side," he said with a grin, forcing her mouth open again. He was about to start the process all over when there was a knock on the door. Daniels turned around and frowned.

The knock came again. "Pizza Delivery for, um, Miss Naminé Thomson."

Daniels looked back at the woman. Her face was very placid as she stared at the door. "Could be a prank," she said. He averted his gaze and walked toward the door. It could be a prank but it would be a rather convenient one for her. That someone would order pizza to her apartment and the pizza guy would arrive just when he was about to start whatever torture he had planned. Before he could reach the door, the doorknob exploded. Through the hole in the door, he caught sight of the blue military uniform. Then a face came into view.

"Romberg?" She was happy to see them yet at the same time, she wasn't.

Kimblee kicked the door opened and he took a step into the apartment. His golden eyes landed on Naminé. "What do you know? The Lightning Alchemist is still alive. Your friends will be happy, babe." His gaze lingered on the blood on her face. He figured that she was okay so he looked at the unknown man in the room. "You must be Daniels."

Romberg pulled out his gun and pointed it at the guy. "Don't move," he warned and took a step pass the doorway. "Drop your weapon as well."

Daniels looked at the knife in his hands before looking at the two military dogs. "Understood," he muttered. Instead of dropping the knife, he threw it at Romberg.

Romberg dodged. Daniels moved in and tried to wrestle the gun away. Seeing that his comrade needed help, Kimblee clapped his hands. The criminal heard the sound, the one that played over and over again in his sleep, and turned Romberg around so he was acting as a shield. The Crimson Alchemist stopped moving. Finding the perfect opportunity, Daniels kicked Romberg in the stomach and the man fell backwards into the alchemist. Daniels aimed the gun that was now in his possession.

"No!" Naminé screamed.

Kimblee pushed out Romberg out of the way and took a bullet to the shoulder. He stumbled backward into the wall and stared at the barrel of the gun pointed at his head. Not seeing many options, the Crimson Alchemist stood his ground and held onto his bleeding shoulder. Inwardly, he cursed at himself for getting involved in this.

"Die, you dog of the-!"

Romberg hurried onto his feet and rammed into the criminal with all his might.

Naminé wasn't sure what happened next but she heard that distinct clap and then an explosion followed shortly afterward. The aftermath held more certainty. There was blood all over the walls, on Romberg, and on Kimblee. However, the most was on Daniels. Where there should have been an arm there was nothing and Naminé stared in horror. Daniels walked backward and hit the wall. Then he slid down, a dead look in his eyes. Blood pooled around his body. The Lightning Alchemist was surprised to see that his chest was still moving.

* * *

_-FLASHBACK-  
_"Hurry," Vi said, her eyes on the door. "He's coming back."

"I know," Naminé said through gritted teeth, glancing at the several books that surrounded her. She wasn't sure what she was trying to do or make. She hardly understood what she was reading. Her mind was all over the place and her thoughts seemed all incomprehensible. Still, she was drawing symbols on her arm in the hopes that one would work. Her blue eyes landed on Kaili. It was a source of inspiration to draw faster.

The girls heard a splintering of wood and looked at the door. "He went to go get my dad's ax," Naminé explained. Although she was sitting on the floor, her legs felt like jelly. Kaili whimpered somewhere in the background and something caught in the teenager's throat.

Vi saw the expression on her friend's face. She wanted to say a few words of comfort but they had yet to work and she was done trying them. Instead she acted indifferent and focused on the task at hand. "You're charging at him right?" She asked, looking back at her friend.

Naminé gulped. "Sure." She was nervous but she knew adrenaline was working throughout her system. She wanted the man to break in already. She wanted to get this over with and make him pay. A life for a life. It was the law of equivalence and it was one she planned on following if she was going to use alchemy. The girl got up and walked over to the desk.

"Ready?" Vi asked. Naminé nodded and the two moved the desk. The wood splintered quicker and eventually a hole appeared. A hand shot through and worked at the lock. Naminé stepped back; Vi went to the corner where Kaili was to keep her out of harm's way. The door clicked open and Naminé clapped her hands. The door swung open and Naminé tackled the man to the floor, her hands colliding with his chest. There was too much voltage flowing to cause a simple stun; Mr. Seether was in a state of unconsciousness.

"Good job, Nami . . ." Vi's voice trailed off when she heard another clap. She couldn't see much from where she was standing. She took a few steps forward. Now she could see the back of her friend and her trembling shoulders. "Naminé?" There was another clap. After a few seconds, a smell of burning flesh hit Vi's lungs. She gasped and ran toward her friend. "Naminé!"  
_-END FLASHBACK-_

Naminé sat on a bench outside the apartment complex, her blue eyes on the floor. Military personnel were running into the place as if something was still going on. In fact, everything had calmed down. The other tenants, her neighbors, who had made the phone calls were settled back into their apartments. Kimblee already had the bullet removed by the paramedics that had arrived. Romberg was being questioned along with Vi and Mel. They were trying to explain to Basque Gran how this mess had happened. Daniels - Naminé wasn't sure what had happened to him.

She heard someone's approached and looked up. She saw it was only Kimblee. "Are they still being questioned?" She asked.

"Yeah but Vi will be out soon and probably Mel," Kimblee replied. "Romberg is taking most of the heat though."

"I see." There was a moment of silence. Naminé didn't say anything when Kimblee took a seat next to her. She briefly looked at him and then turned away. She took a deep breath before letting it out. "How's your shoulder?" She finally asked. It wasn't what she wanted to ask but she couldn't bring herself to say it.

"Fine," he responded, moving it around to prove his point. His small wince did not go unnoticed. He glanced at the woman. He rested his arms on the back of the bench and tilted his head back, taking on a casual posture. He seemed to be taking the situation too well. "You know he's dead right?"

"Daniels?" She said.

"Yeah. Apparently he lost too much blood."

There was more silence. She ran a hand through her locks. So he was dead and it wasn't even by her hands. "Kimblee?"

"Yeah?"

"How can you kill someone without feeling guilty about it?"

At this, Kimblee snorted. "Simple, babe. You just don't think about it. It also helps if you want to kill the person."

"But . . . I wanted to kill Daniels. I had the opportunity to do so." She glanced at her hands. "Before I had enough charge flowing for my attack but I missed. I couldn't bring myself to kill him even though he . . . Four years ago, I almost did. I was suppose to knock him unconscious with lightning alchemy. But I couldn't stop shocking him. I wanted him dead. Vi stopped me. She told me that if I did kill him, I would lose a part of myself and Kaili didn't need to see her only sister turn into a monster."

Kimblee thought about her words for a second and shook his head. "Even if Vi didn't say a word, you wouldn't have done it then either. You value life too much." The woman simply didn't see that some life had to be traded for others, that not every human being was valued the same. _She won't last long in the military,_ he thought. _It's almost a shame._

Suddenly Naminé rested her head on his shoulder and his body stiffened from the contact. The Crimson Alchemist didn't say anything or move. He didn't even pass a look in her direction. Sensing that he wouldn't run off, the Lightning Alchemist closed her blue eyes. "Thank you."


	8. Chapter 8: The Flame

**A/N: Heh. The wait wasn't so long this time, was it? I'm not a big fan of this chapter. It's good and all but it's one of those it-could-have-been-better things. After Chapter 9, I can finally get to the romance aspects of the story. So I'm excited about that. :) Anyway thanks to thegriffin88 for reviewing. Enjoy.**

**CHAPTER 8 - The Flame:**

"Really?" Isabelle shrieked. Naminé cringed and Romberg rubbed his ear. They were in the cafeteria eating lunch, trying to catch up with what had been going on. Naminé, Isabelle, and Romberg had nothing to really share but the Crimson Alchemist did. Kimblee had just told them the recent news circulating Southern HQ. Apparently a few alchemists from Central would be arriving today. In fact, they were probably already here, walking around. For some reason, this fact excited Isabelle beyond belief. Naminé didn't understand but Kimblee and Romberg seemed to know about this.

Isabelle squealed again and the Lightning Alchemist flinched. "I can't wait to see him!"

"Who?" Naminé asked.

"My future husband!"

Kimblee laughed. "He's hardly aware that you exist."

Isabelle rolled her eyes. "What would you know?"

"Who exactly are we talking about?" Naminé asked.

"Roy Mustang, the Flame Alchemist," Romberg explained. "Every time he comes, all the women around here go stupid and chase after him. The female populace are really shallow here . . . except for you maybe," Romberg added, nodding toward Naminé.

"Don't group me with the majority," Isabelle claimed, realizing she wasn't part of the exception. "I just find him very attractive." She wasn't lying. Roy just had a certain presence in the room. His jet black hair, those amazing that dark eyes, the sound of his voice - all of that and so much more seemed squeal-worthy. He was the most perfect human being on earth, a real man that she could die for. She sighed as she pictured his face in his mind. Already, her heart felt like it was melting.

"They're here," Kimblee said.

Naminé turned around and looked at the cafeteria entrance. The alchemists walked in as a group and so it was impossible for them not to go unnoticed.

Isabelle squealed again. "There he is!"

Naminé's blue eyes found him instantly. He was, after all, the best looking one and Isabelle had stated that he was very attractive. Her eyes followed him as he took a seat with his comrades.

Kimblee took one look at the Lightning Alchemist and snorted. "Figures you would be into pretty boys."

Naminé looked away and stared at him with a raised eyebrow. "What does that mean?"

"You're just as shallow," he replied. Did that fact bother Kimblee? It felt like it did and the alchemist wasn't sure why it would. He wasn't like Romberg. He had no interest in the woman next to him. If he did have an interest, it would be related to her alchemy and her abilities as a soldier. Nothing more. He was almost positive about that. He glanced over at Isabelle and saw what she was looking at it. He smirked. "You know he has no interest in you," he said.

"No one asked for your opinion."

"I think you spoke too soon," Romberg muttered. He glanced over at the table where the Flame sat and caught him looking their way. He frowned. Why would Roy Mustang be looking at them? He couldn't care about him or Kimblee. His only subjects of interest could be Isabelle and . . . His eyes landed on the woman in front of him, Naminé Thomson. If Mustang tried to come over here and take her away, the man had another thing coming. After some time, the Flame Alchemist stood and started to walk in their direction.

"Oh my god," Isabelle said, resting her chin on her hand. "He is coming over this way. Naminé, how do I look?"

Naminé examined the blonde for any blemishes. "You look fine. Not a hair out of place."

"Good," Isabelle said, still passing her hands through her hair. She paused and looked at the woman. "You look fine too by the way."

"This is pathetic," Romberg said. "You actually care how you look? You don't prep up for us."

"You're not Roy Mustang, are you?" Isabelle asked, glaring at Romberg.

"So what if I'm . . ."

Mustang arrived at their table and the four fell silent. Romberg and Kimblee were the most apprehensive of the group. Isabelle looked like she was in some sort of daze, sighing and gazing at the man with such adoration. Naminé felt confused; the Flame's stare was only on her.

"Hello," Roy said, flashing a smile that he used to melt the hearts of women everywhere. He extended a hand toward Naminé. "I'm Roy Mustang. The Flame Alchemist. You must be the newly reinstated alchemist."

"Naminé Thomson," she said. She took his hand, thinking it was a handshake he was trying to do. She was caught off guard when he turned her hand in his and kissed it. Her face turned red as she stared him. The woman was at a lost for words. She didn't expect him to be so courteous and even more handsome up close.

"The Lightning Alchemist," Roy finished for her. "I've heard a lot about you. I never thought that the Lightning Alchemist would be so beautiful."

Naminé's blush deepened. She was trying to find words to say but couldn't. The compliment wasn't something she got often and to hear it had caught her off guard. Why couldn't all the men at Southern Headquarters be like this? She averted her gaze. _I need to say something. Anything._

"Hi, Roy!" Isabelle interrupted.

Roy let go of Naminé's hand and looked at the blonde. "Hello, Isabelle. How are you doing?"

"Great as always. What about you?"

Naminé slowly turned around and gave Isabelle a dirty look. _Did she just steal him away from me? We were having a connection just now! _Isabelle looked at her friend and quickly stuck out her tongue. The alchemist raised an eyebrow.

"I got to go," Roy said, seeing a high-ranking officer waving him over. "I'll see you two lovely ladies later." With that, he walked off.

"Finally," Kimblee muttered. "I was getting sick of you two acting stupid. What were you going to do? Fight over him?"

"Of course not!" Naminé said. What kind of person did he take her for? Sure, she had been somewhat fawning over the Flame alchemist but could he really blame her? How often did a man say those words that she wanted to hear? The most she got were a few insults from Kimblee and stupid pick-up lines from Romberg. Those barely amount to anything in her opinion.

"I know what this is about," Isabelle said. "You're jealous that Roy is such a gentleman and you're not."

Romberg and Kimblee exchanged looks and then burst out laughing. The two men found the idea preposterous and it was even funnier that Isabelle had said it. Romberg settled down first. "Roy Mustang? A gentleman? The man chases after girls in miniskirts! He's no different from any other guy."

Naminé looked over at the alchemist. "I find that hard to believe."

"Looks can be deceiving," Kimblee said.

"You would know all about that, wouldn't you?" Naminé asked, raising an eyebrow.

Kimblee looked at her. Was that a compliment? He didn't ask her and took it in the best way possible. He wasn't going to hear her complain for no reason. He had heard enough to last a lifetime. "Thanks, babe." That would probably confuse her more than anything.

"What are you thanking me for?" Naminé was clearly bewildered. She didn't understand why he didn't get that had been more of an insult than a compliment. Kimblee was good at picking up on those snide remarks.

"Naminé," Isabelle said, leaning over the table. "I'm going to be completely honest with you. I really like Roy."

Romberg rolled his eyes. "Is there anyone here that is not aware of that?"

The blonde shot him a look. "What I mean is," she said, picking where she had left off, "I would appreciate it if you don't send Roy mixed signals."

The Lightning Alchemist frowned. "I don't think I completely understand you."

Kimblee laughed. "She's marking her territory, babe," he explained in simpler words. He knew how Isabelle was about these sort of matters. She wasn't as bad as Sonia but she liked making it clear who she was gunning for. When Naminé stood up rather abruptly, he knew that she was furious about this. Kimblee knew the brunette well enough to see that one coming.

"Unbelievable," she said. "And what if I like him too? Then what?" Isabelle didn't respond and Naminé shook her head. Quickly but steadily, she walked away.

Romberg laughed. "And you call us stupid, Isabelle?"

The blonde took a bite of her sandwich. "I was doing you two a favor," she said. "You guys have a thing for her right? I just thought that if I-!"

"Wait a minute," Romberg said, his eyebrow raised. He turned toward Kimblee. "You like her too? Since when?"

"Since never," the alchemist muttered. "I have no interest in her."

Isabelle snorted. "You could have fooled me."

* * *

Once she was out in the hallway, her pace slowed down. She never thought that Isabelle was that sort of woman. Roy was _her _territory? When he had came over, he didn't seem the least bit interested in the blonde. No. All his attention had been on her. However, what if Kimblee was right about Roy? Roy was human and a guy. Maybe . . .

"Why am I worrying over nothing?" She asked herself, folding her arms. Roy was a guy and even if Isabelle had been more than just abrasive, she wasn't going to fight her over a person she hardly knew. _I'll apologize to her, _she thought. _At least by tomorrow. _She stopped and approached a window. She admired the beautiful weather until a voice interrupted her thoughts.

"It's a nice day, isn't it?

Naminé turned around and was surprised to see Roy looking over her shoulders. She turned back around to hide her blush. "Yeah. It is." _Act indifferent, _she told herself. _I will not fall for his charm. I will not fall for his charm._

Roy leaned against the wall and peered down at the woman's face. She looked as if she was acting stubborn about something. "Am I annoying you?"

Naminé immediately glanced at him. "No. It's just . . . Someone just pissed me off. That's all."

"Co-workers can do that sometimes."

"Well, the people I work with are like that all the time," Naminé said. "Take Romberg for example. The guy always tries to flirt with me. Kimblee always acts like a jerk. He always insulting me. And Isabelle . . . She seems nice but she can be a real witch when she wants to."

Roy laughed. "And still, you hang out with all these people why?"

Naminé sighed. "They have their good points," she admitted grudgingly. She knew that they did despite their faults. In the end, they helped her out. Even Kimblee helped her out once in a while. "I'm sorry," she told Roy. "I'm ranting about pitiful little things."

"They can't be so pitiful if they matter to you," Roy said. His hand gently cupped her chin and titled her head up. Their eyes met. "Sometimes it helps to say them out loud. It makes you think more clearly." He tilted her head to the side a bit and smiled. "You know, your eyes are a nice shade of blue." The Flame Alchemist held her gaze a second more and released her chin. Then he started to walk away.

Naminé stared after him. "Wait!" The young man stopped and glanced over his shoulder. "Isn't there something you want to ask me?"

He blinked as if he had no idea what she was talking about. "Only if you want me to, Naminé," he said.

"I do," she said, her face turning red. Was she actually about to go through with this?

A small smile graced his features. "Do you want to go on a date Friday night?"

Today was only Tuesday and at the moment, Friday seemed far into the future. She didn't want to wait but she would. That would give her plenty of time to get dating tips from her friends. "I would love to."

* * *

"No way!" Isabelle shrieked.

"I know," Romberg said. "It took me by surprise too."

Kimblee, the only one doing any real work, glanced away from the reports he was filling out and looked at the two. So what if Naminé, despite Isabelle's declaration, was going on a date with Roy Mustang? It was natural for anyone to chase after forbidden fruit, even the most sweet and innocent of people. Of course, he had hoped that Naminé wouldn't go out with pretty boy. The fact that she did - it just got underneath his skin. He wasn't sure if it was because she had so easily denied him when he had asked or . . . He smirked to himself. Like _that _was possible.

The door opened. The Crimson Alchemist had been expecting Naminé but he was surprised to see Mustang walk in. "Speak of the devil himself," he said. "Looking for our brunette?"

"I thought that she would be here," Roy said, looking at the other alchemist.

"Well she's not," Romberg said.

"I'll look for her elsewhere then." Roy was about to leave but Romberg stopped him.

"I want to make something clear with you, Mustang." Romberg could feel two pairs of eyes on him but he ignored them for the time being. He only had one objective on mind and it had nothing to do with his two co-workers.

"What is it?" Roy asked, clearly amused.

"If you try anything funny with Naminé, I'll, I'll do something!"

The Flame alchemist. "Trust me. She's in good, capable hands."

"What's _that _suppose to mean?"

Roy feigned innocence. "Exactly what it's suppose to mean."

"That's it!"

Isabelle sighed and shook her head. This was getting ridiculous. What was Romberg planning on doing? Tying Roy up and locking him inside a closet on the night of the date? Threaten him nonstop in the hopes that he will buy one of them?

"I challenge you to a fight!"

_Romberg's a moron_, Isabelle thought.

Kimblee smirked. _Didn't put much thought into that one, did you?_

"A fight?" Roy said, clearly a fight.

"Yes," Romberg happily verified. "If I win, you have to cancel your date with Naminé. And if you win, er . . ."

"You have to dress up like a girl for a day," Roy said with a smirk. "Complete with wig, makeup, and skirt."

Romberg narrowed his eyes and tried not to envision himself dressed like a woman. "Fine. I can deal with that."

Suddenly, Kimblee laughed. "Romberg, how do pistols beat flame? I haven't figured that one out yet."

Romberg gulped and he pulled on his collar. "Um . . ."

"Is there a problem?" Roy asked nonchalantly, liking that the odds were in his favor.

The Crimson Alchemist smirked and folded his arms. His golden eyes landed on the other alchemist. "There isn't," he said. "I'll fight you instead. I have my assessment coming up soon and it would be good to get it out of the way. That won't be a problem for you, right, Mustang?"

* * *

"Vi, I'm so happy!" Naminé exclaimed. She was using one of the phones in the phone area. Normally she wouldn't be so loud but she was too excited and with not many people passing by, there was no incentive to speak lower. The woman twirled the phone cord between her fingers and sighed out of content. "You know that I haven't been out with a guy for a while now. And he's so handsome too. Vi, you and Mel have got to help me with this one. Clothes, makeup, everything. I want to look my absolute best."

**A/N: And it ends there. I've already started on Chapter 9 so hopefully I'll be able to post it up soon.**


	9. Chapter 9: The Benefits of Betting, or L

**A/N: Hey! I know, I know. I haven't updated in forever. I've been busy with school not to mention that I had a major writing block for this chapter. I ended up changing the direction of this chapter and in the end, I got this. I apologize for the ridiculous length. But Chapter 10 (which is in the works) will be shorter. Hopefully I won't take forever to post that. Anyway, thanks to thegriffin88, XXBlackfireXX, kawaii uchiha's, AnimeFreakSquee, and .Secerets for reviewing! You guys are awesome. :)**

**CHAPTER 9—The Benefits of Betting, or Lack Thereof:**

Naminé had spent all Thursday morning hearing about an epic battle that would take place that afternoon. It wasn't until lunch that she realized who was involved in the fight. Roy Mustang and Zolf J. Kimblee. Flame vs. Crimson. She knew that Kimblee's assessment was coming up but she didn't understand why Roy wanted to be the opponent. But as she tried to finish her soup, the answer popped up in her friends' conversation.

"You know you have to win, right?" Romberg asked Kimblee.

"I know," Kimblee muttered. This wasn't the first time he had heard this speech before.

"I mean," Romberg went on, "if you lose, then you know Mustang's going to rub it in my face, right?"

"Yeah, yeah."

"You don't want me to dress up like a girl, right?"

Isabelle laughed at the reminder. "And here I thought this was all about Naminé's date."

Naminé scooped up some soup in her spoon and blew on it to cool it down. "What about my date?" She looked at her friends expectantly, waiting for an answer. Isabelle, who was smiling to herself, looked away from her. Romberg cast his gaze downward. Kimblee suddenly decided now was the perfect moment to take a bite of his sandwich. The brunette frowned. "Why are you three acting so strange?"

Isabelle looked back at Naminé. "How would you feel if you knew there were people who don't believe you and Roy should date?"

The Lightning Alchemist blinked. "I'm not exactly following."

"What if Kimblee wins and you can't go on a date with Roy because of a certain bet? How would that make you feel?"

Naminé didn't reply. For Isabelle to even suggest something so preposterous, it was . . . She looked at the two men at their table. They wouldn't, they couldn't. No guy could be that stupid and selfish and inconsiderate and yet . . . Kimblee was inconsiderate. Romberg was selfish. _I shouldn't be surprised, _she thought, her blue eyes narrowing slightly. _They can't even look me in the eye! _

Romberg sighed. "It's not as bad as it seems. It's just a friendly bet between us guys. Even Mustang agreed to it." He was about to go on but stopped once he realized Naminé was still glaring daggers in his direction.

"Naminé," Isabelle said, catching the woman's expression. "Don't be upset. Romberg and Kimblee are just jealous."

Suddenly Kimblee laughed. "Jealous of what? That Mustang has a date with one of the most uptight women I've ever met?"

"I'm not uptight," Naminé stated, turning toward the alchemist.

"Are you sure about that, babe?" Kimblee asked with a smirk.

Naminé rolled her eyes and shook her head in disbelief. "This whole bet thing is completely stupid," she said. "Couldn't you guys have found something else to do instead of trying to ruin my social life?"

"Because without Mustang, you don't have one, right?" Kimblee asked, raising his eyebrows.

Before she could respond, Roy came over to the table and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Hello, Naminé." Naminé's face heated up, not entirely sure of what to say. Despite her feelings about the bet and the fact that he had agreed to it, she couldn't complain outright to him about it nonetheless reprimand him for his actions. Why was it so much easier to yell at Kimblee and Romberg, she did not know. Maybe it was because she saw no need to hide anything from them.

Naminé sighed. "Look, Roy," she said, removing his arm from her shoulders. "I know about the bet. I think it's---!"

"Stupid," Roy finished. "I know."

"What?" Naminé said, surprised at his words. "If you knew that, then why did you agree to the bet?"

"I was caught up in the moment," Roy replied. "I didn't want to miss my chance to impress you."

Kimblee raised an eyebrow, his golden eyes passing back and forth between Mustang and Naminé. He was waiting for her to slap the Flame or make some indication that she wanted to give him hell for agreeing to the bet. However, none of that happened. She seemed to be at a loss of words. "You're fucking kidding me," he said. Everyone looked at him, slightly bewildered at his words. "A few words from Mustang and you're instant putty in his hands." So much for the woman thinking on her own feet. He stood up. "Let me go before I gag."

Naminé sat there completely speechless as the Crimson Alchemist walked away from their table. After a moment or two, she turned around and got out of her seat, her blue eyes boring into his retreating back. "I'm not, you jerk!"

Kimblee stopped walked. He would have turned around just to see her expression but the tone of voice she used was enough to make him smirk. Of course, he still didn't feel any better about how much influence Roy had over her. What was up with women and pretty boys? "You know it's true, Thomson. If he told you to jump, you'd jump. If he told you to drop down on your knees and---!"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence!"

As the two went back and forth, Isabelle sighed. She didn't see why the two of them were arguing in front of the whole cafeteria nonetheless their superior officers. She looked at Romberg. "Can you honestly believe them?" She asked them. "I thought they would have a little more self dignity than this and carry this on in private. Hopefully Roy will think the same too and he would reconsider dating her."

"I doubt it," Romberg said, his eyes not leaving Naminé. To him, he couldn't see any girl better than the one in front of him yelling her head off at his co-worker.

Naminé groaned. "You're such an idiot!"

"Name calling. How mature of you."

"Forget fighting Roy! We're fighting instead, same rules, same bet!"

Kimblee was stunned. He couldn't have heard right. "What?" He asked, slowly turning around to face the woman, his smirk gone.

"You heard me!"

"Naminé," Roy started. He rested a hand on her shoulder. "Think about what you're saying. I mean the battle assessment is pretty much set up and---!"

"I don't care," Naminé said, calming down a bit. "He can take me on instead. It's me that's on the line, not you. So I have a better incentive to kick his ass around a few good times. Well, Kimblee?" She said, her eyes on the Crimson Alchemist again. "It's a deal, right?"

Kimblee wasn't sure what to do. If he said no, it would appear to every man watching that he was scared of some chick that thought it was fine to yell at him. If he said yes, chances were he would get distracted during the fight. After all, this was Naminé, a girl he could now admit he was strangely attracted to for all the wrong reasons. But . . . "Sure, Thomson," he finally said, his smirk returning to grace his features. "Just to let you know, you're just going to get humiliated in front of everyone."

The Lightning Alchemist folded her arms. "We'll see about that."

* * *

It was three o'clock. Most of the military personnel were outside, sitting in the arena stands. Some were here to watch the match between the veteran and the rookie. Others were here just to avoid work and saw this as an excuse to get out of it. Whatever the reason, everyone was waiting for the assessment to start already. Romberg was probably the most anxious one.

"What if Kimblee loses?" He asked.

Isabelle sighed, regretting her decision to sit next to him. "I like Naminé and all but let's be honest. Kimblee will win even if it's only because he's more experienced."

"I don't think so," said another person.

Isabelle looked up and her green eyes lit up. She hardly noticed the groan from Romberg. There was Roy Mustang, standing right next to her. Immediately, she moved over to give the man some sitting room. He took up on the offer and sat down the next to the blond. The woman suddenly giggled. "Who am I kidding?" Isabelle said, moving closer to the man. "A date with you is definitely an incentive to win."

"Yeah, right," Romberg muttered before yelling, "Kick her ass, Kimblee!"

Kimblee stood in the middle of the arena with his hands stuffed into his pockets. He examined his opponent in front of him, trying to think of some amazing strategy to take her on. Why did he have to fight her? He would much rather fight Mustang and embarrass the man who thought he was some sort of king.

"Ready to lose, Kimblee?" Naminé asked.

Kimblee arched an eyebrow. Would it kill her to stop acting so damn cocky?

General Gran stood in the middle of the arena. He glared at each individual as if they were planning to do something wrong. "I want this to be a clean fight," he stated. He looked at the Crimson Alchemist. "I don't want any casualties either."

Kimblee smirked. "Got it, boss man.

"The match may begin!"

Kimblee watched Gran walk off the arena before looking at the woman in front of him. "Why don't we make things interesting?"

Naminé narrowed her eyes. "How?"

"Let's have a bet of our own."

"No."

Kimblee frowned. "What? Are you scared you're going to lose to me?"

Naminé gritted her teeth. "Fine," she finally said. "We'll have a bet but you'll be sorry when you lose. If I win, you'll have to do my share of the paperwork for a whole week."

"That's fine," Kimblee said. "I already pick up your slack anyway."

"And what do you want if you win?" She asked.

"A date."

Naminé blinked, feeling her face heat up. "W-what?"

Romberg nearly jumped out of his seat. "That bastard." Kimblee had told him that Naminé was all his and he had no interest in a woman he considered to be 'uptight'. It made no sense as to why he was now asking that same woman on a date. It was a complete one-eighty, one that Romberg shouldn't have believed to be so far below Kimblee.

"A date," Kimblee repeated. "You and me. Tomorrow night. If I win."

Naminé knew she had to be blushing. She couldn't recall a time where a guy asked her out in front of so many people. She wanted to say 'no, of course not' but that would make her look bad, wouldn't it? After all, she had already made her demand. "Fine," she said after a deep breath. "It's a deal." _What am I getting myself into? _

"Good. Now that that's settled." Kimblee's expression changed and suddenly he charged at her. Naminé's eyes widened. She was rooted to the spot, unsure of what to do. Then she heard that distinct clap. She looked away and snapped her fingers. Clouds of dust rose into the air and Naminé almost went into a panic mode. She knew that Kimblee could be ruthless but she hadn't expected him to come at her so fast. A hand came through the dust and the woman ducked. _What am I doing? I need to fight back. Now!_

She clapped her hands and attempted to shock Kimblee in the chest. However he was a bit faster. He punched her in the stomach and then kicked her out of the dust cloud and into the sight of the spectators.

Still trying to find the wind that had been knocked out of her, Naminé didn't feel like getting up. Her side ached like hell and she was still in some shock that Kimblee had kicked her so hard. He had never been this rough with her during their sparring sessions. After what seemed like a painful eternity, she was able to breathe again and she tried to force herself. However, even as Kimblee took his time to reach her, she couldn't get anywhere.

"Get up, Naminé!" Romberg was yelling from his seat. "You have to win!"

Her blue eyes flashed toward the stands. _Now_ he wanted Kimblee to lose?

The Crimson Alchemist clapped his hands and stooped down next to her. He tilted his head to the side. "You know, for someone who wanted to fight me so badly, babe, I was expecting a little more effort from you."

"What?" She muttered darkly. "No 'Thomson'?" A shiver ran down her spine when Kimblee placed his hand on the back of her jacket.

"Get up," he commanded, standing back up again. He shoved his hands into his pockets. "I'm telling you this for your own good."

Back in the stands, Isabelle furrowed her eyebrows. "I don't get it. He's toying with her."

Romberg snorted. "Sure," he said, his voice thick with sarcasm. "Because somewhere along the line, sucker punching someone in the stomach became toying."

Roy gritted his teeth. "Her jacket."

Isabelle looked at him. "What do you mean?"

"He clapped his hands, didn't he?"

"Kimblee would never," Isabelle whispered.

In the arena, Naminé shook her head in reply to Kimblee. She thought that she could hear people shouting her name but she ignored them and their yelling. Kimblee told her again to get up and she gave him a dirty look. He just wanted to knock her around a few more times. Why else did he want her back on her feet for? _If I lose, I'll go on a date with that bastard,_ she thought. Wasn't that enough of an incentive to get up? Apparently not because she found the promise of pain a lot worse.

Kimblee looked away, smirking to himself. "You have ten more seconds before your jacket explodes."

Her heart almost stopped beating. Whether it was sudden rush of adrenaline or newly found resolve, the woman was quickly back onto her feet, struggling to get the jacket off her. In her head, each second that went by was her getting closer to death or a serious amount of pain. And for every second that went by, she was more anxious to get her jacket off. Finally yanking the material off her arm, she threw it away from her. A couple of seconds later, it exploded.

"That was uncalled for!" She yelled. _I should have thrown it at him_, she thought bitterly. It was unfortunate that the idea occurred to her after panic had run its course.

Kimblee grinned maniacally and clapped his hands. He charged and swiped at her. "Come on, babe! I know you can do better than this!" Naminé was backing away, dodging his hand every time it came. Kimblee kept coming after her relentlessly, not bothering to hold back. Suddenly the woman blocked his right arm with her left one and then snapped her fingers with her right hand. The Crimson Alchemist jumped back, the bolt of lightning striking where he had stood.

Seeing an opening, Naminé ran toward him and clapped her hands. She got down low and reached out for him. Kimblee took a few steps back to get out of her way and clapped his hands. Then he touched the ground, his eyes wide with excitement. The floor exploded and once more, Naminé found herself in a dust cloud. Her blue eyes darted around, trying to see some moving shadow. She heard a sound to her left and she snapped her fingers. There was no sound to indicate that she had got him and her muscles only tensed further. An explosion rocked to her right and she bit her lip as the dust cloud only got thicker. "Stop hiding!" She felt a hand on her shoulder and she was brought back against another body. She couldn't see his face but she knew his smirk was there.

"Who's hiding babe?"

Back in the stands, Romberg sat nervously in his seat. For his own personal reasons, he was worried that the Lightning Alchemist would lose this match. He hoped that she would win. Even if the result would be Mustang taking Naminé out on a date and him dressing up as a girl, that was a lot better than Kimblee taking Naminé out on a date. Kimblee was a bigger threat than Mustang. While Mustang would be gone after this week, Kimblee would be around to stay. To stay and work whatever magic he could on the girl Romberg wanted most.

"I can't see anything," Isabelle muttered, frowning. "You think it's over?"

"Maybe," Roy said. "I haven't heard anything since Kimblee's last attack." The Flame Alchemist glanced over at Romberg and almost smiled at his distress. Even he knew Naminé's chances of winning weren't so great at the moment. Kimblee was simply too much of a veteran at this and all of them knew that he could out-maneuver the woman without much thought. But if the Lightning Alchemist did manage to pull off a victory, then what an upset that would be.

"The smoke's clearing," Isabelle said enthusiastically. She now sat at the edge of her seat as she waited to see the result. Then the smoke was gone. The blonde smiled and looked over at a fuming Romberg. "That's a pretty compromising position, isn't it?"

"I am going to kill him."

Roy smirked. "Good luck with that."

* * *

Naminé couldn't see anything. Kimblee had his hand covering most of her face, forcing her to breathe through her mouth. This was an unpleasant situation for her. She could feel her chest moving up and down, her heart pounding away within. She could feel Kimblee's grip on her right wrist, holding it by the side of her head. She could feel his weight on the lower half of her body. She was pinned and she knew it. And now it dawned on her. She had lost not only this fight but the bets as well, that tomorrow night she would be going out with _him_. The woman heard heavy footfalls coming over to them and she was almost certain that they belonged to Colonel Gran.

"Good job, Crimson Alchemist," the colonel said. "You can learn many things from him, Thomson."

Naminé heard the man walked away and finally, Kimblee let go of her face. Her blue eyes fluttered opened and the woman glared at him. "You thought about blowing my face off, didn't you?"

Kimblee frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Right before you tackled me you clapped your hands together."

It took some time before he remembered what she was talking about. He smirked as he got off her. "Now why would I do that?" He asked, feigning innocence. "Since we are going on that date tomorrow, it helps if you look hot as hell, right? How else will I be able to get through a date with you?"

Naminé furrowed her eyebrows together, thoroughly confused by his words. She stood up and started to brush the dirt off her clothes. "That makes no sense," she said. "You asked me out on a date." Technically _forced_ would be the right word to be used but she could care less about correcting herself. She wanted an explanation for his statement.

"I know," he said. "I asked you out to piss off Romberg . . . Wait . . . You thought that I asked you out because I actually . . ." Unable to finish his sentence, Kimblee turned around and laughed. "I had no idea you thought of me that way!"

"I don't!" Her cheeks were flushed with a bright shade of red but the woman didn't bother trying to hide. She just hoped that he wouldn't notice as he laughed away. She lowered her gaze. Was it wrong to wish for one decent guy to actually like you? Or even not be seen as some tool? She looked over at the stands and saw people clearing out except for three people who had made their way to the front seats and were now leaning over the short wall. _Roy . . ._

* * *

After what had felt like an eternity, it was finally nine o'clock. Naminé was happy that her shift was over for the day. The office was too thick with tension. Kimblee had been making the most ridiculous comments about tomorrow's date and she couldn't tell if the comments were intended for her or for Romberg. But even if they were intended for Romberg, they still bothered her. Kimblee was acting like he was the best thing to have ever happened. The woman had hoped that Isabelle would have offered some support, maybe even tell the Crimson Alchemist to shut up, but the blonde found some amusement from all this as she sat quietly in her seat. _Maybe because she could date Roy now_, Naminé thought bitterly as she quickly gathered her things.

"I'm leaving," she announced. Her three coworkers looked up.

"See you tomorrow, Naminé," Isabelle said with a smile.

"Bye, babe," Kimblee said with a smirk. "See you tomorrow night, right?"

"Bye," Romberg grumbled.

So eager to leave the room and glad about it too, Naminé briskly walked to the door and opened it. She slipped out into the hallway and closed the door behind her. She closed her eyes and leaned against the door. "This is unbelievable," she muttered.

"You're telling me."

Naminé opened her eyes and was surprised to see Roy in front of her. She quickly averted her gaze. "Um, hi." She was certain that he was mad at her and if he wasn't, then she was equally certain that he believed that she had made a fool of herself today. That was why, instead of talking to him right after her match, she had taken off. Thinking about it now, it had been a silly thing to do. She should have known that they would have run into each other eventually. She sighed. "I'm sorry that I lost the bet," she finally said.

"Don't worry about it," Roy said. "It was just a date, right?"

She nodded eagerly. "Of course. I mean, we would have just went out for dinner."

"And probably have a good time."

"And you probably would have walked me home."

"And I would probably have kissed you good night." He caught the blush on her cheeks and the startled look on her face. Smiling, he looked away. "But like I said, it was just a date so no hard feelings, right?"

Naminé nodded, wanting to kill herself. She had risked probably the most romantic date of her life for what? A date with Kimblee? As if to prove her point, there was a sudden ruckus in the office she had just left and Isabelle shouting, "Calm down Romberg! It's not that big of a deal!" The woman frowned and took a second to listen. She could tell Roy was doing the same thing.

"He's only doing this to spite me!" Romberg yelled.

There was a laugh. "Don't worry – I'll take _good_ care of her tomorrow night." Another laugh followed by a few interesting words of choice.

A light chuckle from Roy brought Naminé back to the hallway. She turned toward the Flame Alchemist, not sure of what to say. "Anyway," Roy said as he started to walk away. "I wish you the best of luck on your date tomorrow. See you around, Naminé."

"Yeah. You too." Naminé sighed and wondered to herself, _Why me?_


	10. Chapter 10: The Date

**A/N: Yeah. I don't even know how I posted this chapter so fast. But it is done, finite, and that is all that matters to me at this point. Although I find it a bit lengthy and I'll probably try to shorten it in the future. Just that right now, I can't see what parts I should get rid of. So I apologize if some parts seemed drawn out. Anyway thanks to .Secrets, SaintofSillySocks, Knightgirl4Jack, THE Night Yagami, thegriffin88, kawaii uchiha's, and PeachTwilight for reviewing. You guys are awesome. :)**

**CHAPTER 10 – The Date:**

Tonight was the night. At the last minute, Naminé had pleaded for her friends to rush over and help her. She didn't need help picking out an outfit; that she could do just fine. She had just wanted some form of comfort, a couple of people who could keep her from cracking under the insanity of the situation. Naturally Vi and Mel obliged and had come over in a half hour's time. They did manage to calm her down and tell her not to freak out because it was just Kimblee. But Naminé hadn't expected to find herself sitting in front of her mirror, getting her make-up done by one person and her hair by another. It was almost as if they were trying to doll her up for Kimblee and when she asked why, Vi merely sighed.

"It's not for Kimblee," she stated like it was the most obvious thing. She stood back for a moment, scrutinizing her make-up job. After what seemed like ages, she finally appeared satisfied. "You never know who you might run into out there. You can't go looking anyhow."

"She's right," Mel nodded in agreement. For the last half hour, she had been twisting Naminé's hair this way and that way, unwilling to let the woman see the masterpiece at hand. But nothing seemed to be coming out right. "Suppose you run into a billionaire looking like a hot mess. What will you do then? A simple trip to the bathroom wouldn't save you." After torturing herself, as well as the brunette, she did a simple bun, leaving the bangs hanging in front. She finally left the woman's hair alone and patted her friend on the back. "Okay. Done."

Vi rolled her eyes. "If you were going to do that, then I should have done her hair."

"It looks just fine," Mel insisted.

Naminé stood up and examined herself in the mirror. The black dress she was wearing – she had originally bought it for her date with Roy. She remembered thinking how sexy she had looked in the store. Now, she found that perhaps the dress was a bit too short. Her heels were a bit too tall for her liking but Vi and Mel had both agreed that the black shoes had looked amazing with the dress for whatever reason. She leaned closer to the mirror, pouting her red lips a bit. "Are you sure this isn't overdoing it?" She asked. "I don't want him to think I'm dressing up for him."

"Oh please," Mel said, waving her hand dismissively. "Make him _beg_ for it."

"Wait, _what_?"

Mel suddenly laughed. "Are you telling me you never once thought Kimblee was hot?"

"Of course not!" Naminé couldn't see what that had to with making him beg for "it," "it" practically meaning anything raunchy.

Mel smiled. "I find that a bit hard to believe. Even Vi thinks he is."

Vi sighed and looked away, her red eyes narrowing slightly. "Don't twist my words around. I said if he keeps his mouth shut and acts respectful, he _could_ be."

"You know," Naminé suddenly said. "Roy wished me good luck tonight. He suggested that I would need it."

Vi snorted. "Dealing with a jackass like Kimblee, I bet you would."

The doorbell rang and three women stopped talking. "That must be him," Naminé whispered. Already, she could feel the nervousness returning. "I can't let him see me now," she said, biting her bottom lip. She looked at her reflection and she saw the worry in her eyes. "I'm not ready yet."

"You're kidding me right?" Mel asked, shaking her head. Despite her instinct to pull her friend out of the room, she walked out of the room by herself. "I'll get it," she called from the hallway.

Vi reached for her sunglasses and put them on. Then she looked at Naminé. "I don't know why you're acting so nervous. It's only Kimblee out there."

"I know," Naminé sighed and picked up her purse, making sure she had everything in it. She knew that Vi had a point. It was only Kimblee out there. But she still felt nervous. She believed that it had a lot to do with the fact that this still constituted as a date and she hadn't been out on one recently. Which meant that she was still liable of making a complete and utter fool of herself. She knew Kimblee would love to see that. Suddenly the woman felt a pair of hands on her back pushing her out of her room and into the hallway. "Hey!"

"Let's get this over with," Vi said. They heard Mel's giggling from down the door and Vi made a sound of disgust. "Figures she's hitting on him already." When the entrance came in sight, the two stopped in their tracks and inhaled sharply. There was Mel, flirting away. That was practically expected. The Kimblee in front of them was not.

He had cleaned up rather nicely from this afternoon. He seemed like a respectable gentleman. Naminé could always assume it had more to do with his white suit or its matching hat. It was a huge change from his military uniform after all. Naminé must have given him several once-overs before she realized that his eyes were on her. She quickly looked away. "Hi."

"Hey."

Naminé felt awkward standing there, not saying anything really productive and the fact that he was just looking at her wasn't very helpful. She bit her bottom lip, wondering what to say or do. A slight nudge from her right caused her to look at Vi. Vi nodded toward Kimblee and gave her a look that blatantly said, 'get on over there'. Clutching her purse tightly, the Lightning Alchemist walked over to him. "Let's go get this over with."

"What about your jacket?"

"Don't need one," Naminé said, opening the door already. She was not going to waste any time to get one. The sooner this date was over, the better.

"If you say so," Kimblee said. "Let's go before we're late for our reservation."

Naminé stopped and turned around. "What reservation?"

Kimblee raised an eyebrow. "A reservation. The thing you make with those fancy restaurants."

_Fancy?_ "Oh. Right." She looked back at her friends. "I'll see you guys later."

"Have fun," Vi said.

"Don't do what I would do on a first date, Naminé," Mel said with a wink.

Before Naminé could say something, Kimblee closed the door. The woman stared at him, not sure what to say and once again, he was looking her over. Suddenly he smiled to himself. "I'm a bit surprised, babe. You actually look hot."

"You don't look bad yourself," she replied, trying so hard to not be effected by his comment. But deep down inside she was and she knew it was bound to show on her face. What was wrong with her? She could tell this was going to be a long night.

* * *

The restaurant was different than what Naminé had originally expected. It was far fancier than she had thought. With it's the overhead crystal chandeliers and tablecloths that would be a shame to ruin, she felt out of place. Still, despite her instinct to run out, she followed Kimblee and the waiter to a table for two that had a lit candle in the center. Before he took his seat, Kimblee pulled out her seat and she sat down before she picked up the menu. Her blue eyes quickly glanced over the prices, wondering how Kimblee would pay for all this.

"Order whatever you want, babe," he told her.

She looked at him, her eyebrows furrowed. "Are you sure--!"

"Whatever you want," he repeated.

Naminé's gaze returned to the menu. She was looking for a familiar name, one that didn't promise anything strange. There were a few and she was glad about that. But they all sounded so good and she couldn't make up her mind. She glanced at Kimblee and saw that he was done choosing whatever he had wanted; his menu laid on the table. Her blue eyes settled on the man. _Why does he look so handsome? _She wondered. She hadn't thought it was possible to be mesmerized by him. There was no way this could be the same Kimblee she worked with every day in the military.

He looked up at her. "What?"

"Um," Naminé averted her gaze. "I, uh, wanted to say that I'll order whatever you're ordering."

"Okay."

Another silence. Hiding behind her menu, the woman took a deep breath and asked, "Why are you doing this to Romberg?"

Kimblee raised an eyebrow, obviously confused by her words. "What are you talking about now?"

"Clearly you're doing this to annoy him," she stated. "Taking me out on a date and all."

It took a while for him to understand what she meant. Smirking, he looked away from her. "Who said this had anything to do with Romberg?"

Naminé narrowed her eyes. "Who else would this deal with?"

"Let's forget about him," he said. "I'm more interested in you, babe." He wished he could see her reaction to that line. However, she decided that behind a menu was where she wanted to be. He thought about leaning across the table and pulling it out of her hands but he knew that wouldn't end well. It was as if she was looking for something for the two of them to disagree over. It was a strange idea. Still, it seemed to fit what she was doing rather nicely.

"What's so interesting about me?" She asked, not bothering to look at him. She couldn't see his face but she could still catch the smirk in his voice.

"Everything."

Before she could respond – or try to for that matter -- the waiter arrived at the table. The man took out his notepad and pen. "May I take your order?" He asked, his eyes moving back and forth between the two of them.

"Two steaks," Kimblee said.

"And the drink?"

"Water," Naminé said.

"Red Wine," he said.

The waiter scribbled the drinks down. "Your food will be here in about twenty minutes," he said. "Do you want any appetizers?" The two of them shook their heads and the man nodded in agreement. Then he walked off to take care of another table. Soon after, their drinks arrived. All they had to wait for were their steaks.

Naminé sipped some water, her eyes anywhere else but Kimblee. Everything, she repeated in her head in disbelief. He found _everything_ about her interesting. She wasn't used to this side of Kimblee. It put her a little on edge because she wondered what he was expecting to gain from all this.

"Naminé."

Her blue eyes landed on him instantly. "Yes?"

"Tell me something about yourself."

"Like what?"

Kimblee shrugged. "Something I wouldn't be able to tell at first glance."

"I, um . . ." She supposed this was the part where she had to think of some clever story to share. Naminé would have talked about her job but Kimblee worked with her. He knew all about that. She tried hard to think of something from her childhood. "When I was younger, I wanted to do ballet."

Kimblee couldn't suppress a grin. "Really?"

She knew she should have chosen a different story. "What? Is it that unbelievable?"

The man laughed. "It is, considering where you are now."

Naminé didn't see the humor. "I don't think many adults end up being exactly what they wanted to be as a child," she said matter-of-factly. "I doubt you saw yourself as a military dog when you were little."

"That's where you're wrong, babe," Kimblee said, leaning back into his seat. "I already knew that the military was for me. My... 'line of work' wasn't suited for anything else."

Naminé couldn't say she was surprised by that. Unless it was general alchemy, most of the specialized ones were of the destructive kind. Her lightning, Roy's flames – those were a couple of examples. Kimblee's alchemy was perhaps the most obvious. She couldn't see how explosions could help anyone unless, of course, it was used for military purposes. But even then, some people were bound to get hurt or possibly even killed.

"Naminé."

She looked up at him.

"You're okay over there? You zoned out."

"I'm fine," she said. "I was just thinking."

"What I said doesn't require much thought, you know."

"Who said I was thinking about that?" She said quickly, earning a smile from Kimblee.

"Why are you getting so defensive, babe?"

Naminé sighed and reached for her glass of water. As charming as he appeared, Kimblee was still Kimblee. Once one got pass him holding doors open and pulling out seats, that fact became obvious. Although... Her blue eyes flickered in his direction again and she felt that bizarre fluttering in her stomach. To make matters worse, his eyes met hers. Her heart skipped a beat as she waited for him to say something stupid. But he didn't. He averted his gaze elsewhere and she reached for her glass of water again. She wished that he would say something stupid or sarcastic or rude soon. Anything would do just as long as it freed her from this abnormal state of mind.

Suddenly a plate was placed in front of her and she looked up at the waiter. "Your steak, miss," the man said in case she didn't know. She looked down and saw the juicy steak laced with a dark sauce and surrounded baked potato wedges, sliced lemons, and various greens which included lettuce and steamed broccoli. The waiter walked away and the woman hardly noticed. She was still wondering how food could look so good.

"Looks good, right?"

Naminé looked up at Kimblee. "It does," she told him with a small smile. She reached for her napkin and, after unfolding, placed it on her lap. Then she started to eat. Dinner was eaten in mostly silence except for a few comments about the food and anything along those lines. The woman used that time to assess the situation and Kimblee. Just when she thought that she had figured everything out, something suddenly changed in the equation and thus changing the results. To be honest, she was enjoying the date and even liked Kimblee's little quips here and there. Was that why some women like Sonia swoon over him?

When her stomach couldn't hold anymore, she placed her fork down. "I'm so full." There was a little bit of steak left along with the string beans she could careless for and tiny chunks of baked potato. She picked up her fork and poke a bit at the leftovers.

Kimblee, whose plate was empty by this point, reached for a tiny menu set in the middle of the table. Smirking, he asked, "So you have no room for dessert, babe?"

Naminé blinked. "Dessert?" He handed her the tiny menu and she looked at it. Dessert hadn't crossed her mind but now that he mentioned, she couldn't resist the various cakes and pastries jumping off the page. The woman looked up at him. "Do you want to split the Chocolate Fountain with me?" According to the photo, the Chocolate Fountain was a chocolate cake with a bowl-shaped center. The center was filled with melted chocolate. According to the description, the cake would be presented on a small plate, surrounded by various kinds of chocolate. As fattening as it was, she couldn't leave it.

"Sure," Kimblee said. When the waiter returned, he told him about the dessert and the waiter went off with their dirty dishes. Within a few minutes, the waiter appeared with their dessert. Kimblee noticed how Naminé suddenly lit up at the sight of chocolate. He had never understood what women found in the sweet. It was like any other one. Still it had the ridiculous affect on them and watching Naminé take the first bite and smiling like it was the most heavenly thing on earth only solidified his point of view more. Taking his fork, he dug in. "From the looks of it, you seem to be enjoying the cake more than the date."

Naminé quickly swallowed the chocolate in her mouth. "Don't be silly," she said, reaching for one of the chocolates on the plate. "I'm actually loving the date so far." She caught the surprised expression on his face and she wished that she had kept that small tidbit to herself. But he didn't make any comment so she relaxed a bit. Little did she know that he was silently gloating to himself as he helped her get through the cake.

The dessert was soon gone and the bill was paid. Having no other reason to stay in the fancy restaurant, the two headed out into the cool night. The breeze blew down the city-lit street and Naminé shivered. Instantly she hugged herself and rubbed her upper arms, trying to keep warm. "It's cold."

If he had brought the car, they could have sat in its warmth. But the Lightning Alchemist, he had learnt, had a thing for nightly strolls because it was 'so beautiful with the stars out and stuff'. Not that it was easy to see the night sky with all the city lights and such. Kimblee sighed. "If you were going to complain and whine about the weather, you should have brought your jacket."

Naminé rolled her eyes. "Don't start."

Kimblee took off his white blazer and held it out for her. "Here," he said.

She was about to take it but then she realized that he was holding it in a way to help her put it on. Blushing a little at the idea, she turned around and slipped one arm through the sleeve, then the other. The blazer, of course, was too big but she felt instantly warmer. Her blue eyes landed on the man. "You sure you'll be fine without it?" She asked.

"Yeah," Kimblee said like it was a big deal. To be honest, he was a bit chilly but there was no way in hell he would admit that. The two walked in silence for a while, neither sure of exactly what to say in this situation. They didn't have the dire need to speak; the silence wasn't awkward. So they allowed their minds to wander wherever they wanted. The two didn't talk until they were walking up the stairs in Naminé's apartment complex.

"I don't get you," Naminé had suddenly said as they reached her floor.

Kimblee frowned. "What's not to get?"

Naminé turned toward him. She was walking slower than she could have. She knew once she got there, then the date would be official over and they could part ways. They couldn't do that until she got a plausible answer to her question and for that, she needed to stall somehow. "You act like such an ass at work. I just don't get how you can be... act kinda like a gentleman."

"Kinda?"

"Kinda," she reaffirmed. She was not second guessing herself on that. There was no point in being confused any further about this situation. "How come?"

Kimblee smirked. "You can't expect me to be your Prince Charming, babe," he said. They stopped outside her door and he faced her. His golden eyes passed over the woman. "Not all the time anyway."

Naminé had her keys in her hands and she was ready to open the door. But her eyes caught his and she stood there slightly perplexed by the strange expression on his face. What was he waiting for? A comment? An insult? She leaned against her door. "What's that suppose to mean?"

Kimblee removed his hat and held it by the side of her face like he was trying to hide it from whoever might be down the hallway. Then he leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers.

Her eyes opened wide. She was frozen in place, her mind slowly comprehending what was going on. This couldn't be really happening, right? Because this was Zolf J. Kimblee, the Crimson Alchemist, the mad bomber, the man who had deemed her as 'uptight.' So why would he... Her mind struggled to function properly but her body was quicker to react and in a matter of moments her eyes fluttered closed. Her body didn't care for the why's and how's; it just cared for the physical contact.

Glad that he was getting some sign of life from the girl, he leaned in a bit more, deepening the kiss. He could feel her hands on his chest – possibly an attempt to keep some distance between the two of them – and wished that she would move them so he could press into her the way he wanted to. But he figured that he shouldn't really complain. He became a bit rougher and he felt her hands grasp his shirt. His tongue came out begging for entrance.

Naminé didn't know what happened in the next few seconds but Kimblee's tongue was inside her mouth. Despite the tingles going down her spine, despite the sudden rush she got from it, despite the excitement that made her heart skip a few beats, she quickly pushed him away. Kimblee was surprised. Naminé immediately felt stupid. Feeling her face heat up for more than one reason, she turned around and tried opening her apartment door. "I, um--!" Another jab and miss "—I'll--!" After missing the key hole a few times, the key went in and she opened the door. Barely sparing him a fleeting glance, she quickly said, "Thanks for the date. Good night!" She slammed the door. _I must really look like an idiot now_, she thought.

"So how was it?"

Naminé looked up and was surprised to see Vi and Mel lounging on the couch. She had thought that they had gone home. But apparently they hadn't. Both of friends looked at her expectantly. "How was what?" Naminé asked, not sure what they were talking.

"The kiss," Mel said impatiently. "Out there."

Naminé's blush deepened and she turned away. "What are you talking about?"

"Your lipstick's smudged," Vi stated.

"I don't know," she finally said, unable to come up with a decent lie. "... Is it... _normal_ for people to put their tongues in other people's mouths?" There was a brief silence before her two friends erupted into laughter.

"Obviously someone has never really been kissed before," Mel grinned to Vi, who was trying to control her laughter.

"Seriously," Naminé frowned. "I don't know what to do. I can't face him now." The doorbell suddenly rang and she looked through the peep hole before groaning. "It's him," she said. "What should I do?"

"I don't know," Vi said, finally getting control of herself. Her eyes passed over her friend. "Give him back his jacket? I mean, I would think that he would want it back."

Naminé looked down at herself and realized that she had run away with his jacket. Slowly she opened the door and saw Kimblee standing there.

"My jacket," he said simply. "I forgot it."

"Right. Of course." She slid his jacket off and held it out to him. Already she could feel the blush creeping back into her cheeks. Her mind had finally comprehended what had happened. Her gaze lingered on his lips. So tongue was alright?

He took the jacket from her and put it on. "I'll see you Monday, babe."

"Right," she said, nodding her head. "Monday." She heard giggling behind her but she ignored it for the time being. Even though he had said goodbye, the man had yet to leave. His eyes were still on her and she wondered if he believed that he would get another kiss out of her. "Bye."

"Bye." With that, Kimblee started to walk down the hallway.

Naminé was about to close the door but she stopped. She stuck her head out into the hallway. "Hey." The man stopped and turned around. "You might want to, you know, wipe that little bit of lipstick off your lips." Before he could say a word, she closed the door and leaned against it as her friends burst into laughter. "It's not that funny," Naminé insisted.

"Monday should be interesting," Vi said.

The Lightning Alchemist sighed. "Tell me about it."


	11. Chapter 11: Mixed Feelings

**A/N: Another long chapter but I suppose it's necessary. Hopefully by Chapter 14 or 15, I'll be where I want to be. Anyway, thanks to Alchemist of Secrets, THE Night Yagami, kawaii uchiha's, PeachTwilight, SaintofSillySocks, and thegriffin88 for the reviews. **

**Chapter 11—Mixed Feelings:**

"You have noticed, right?"

Romberg looked up at Isabelle. The woman was sitting on the desk opposite from him, her green eyes waiting expectantly. "Noticed what?" It was another morning at work and he was pretty tired. But somehow he had managed to drag himself out of bed and arrive to the office before everyone else could. Isabelle had been the second to arrive. The only two people who were missing at the moment were Kimblee and Naminé but they should be arriving any minute. Romberg wish that the two could arrive now; Isabelle seemed eager to share the latest of her theories, many of which he did not want to hear.

Isabelle sighed and she ran her fingers through her blond hair. "What do you mean_ what_?" She rolled her green eyes. "Are you telling me that you haven't noticed how Naminé and Kimblee are like this?" The woman quickly crossed her fingers to demonstrate what she meant.

Romberg sighed. "Oh. _That_." He had noticed and the sight bothered him. Isabelle saying it out loud made it ten times worse.

"They go on one date that Naminé didn't even wanted to go on and suddenly they're a couple in two weeks," Isabelle said. "It's unbelievable. I thought Naminé couldn't stand Kimblee and--"

"They're a couple now?" Romberg suddenly asked. What had he missed during the past two weeks? He hadn't paid much attention to the two because the sight somewhat irked him – not to mention the idea – but when had they announced they were now official?

"Okay," Isabelle said, waving her hand. "So maybe they're not a couple yet. But they're going to be."

"What makes you so sure?"

"Have you looked at the way they flirt with one another?"

"You're seeing things," Romberg muttered. "Naminé would ever be interested in Kimblee. Not now. Not in a million years."

Isabelle let out a laugh. Leaning back on her hands, she crossed her legs. "How can you lie to yourself so easily?" She asked, feigning wonder.

Romberg was about to reply but then he heard Naminé's voice coming from the hallway. Signaling to Isabelle to hush for a moment, he listened intently to what she was saying. She was talking about . . . shaving? Shaving what? Her legs? Frowning, he tried to figure out what was going on. Then he heard Kimblee saying something about it being perfectly fine, that he knew quite a few girls that liked it. He turned to look at Isabelle, to give her a look that said he was confused, but she was looking at the door. He could tell that she was trying to understand what the two of them could be talking about. It seemed that Isabelle was imagining worst things than legs that needed to be shaved. Suddenly the door opened.

Naminé had her hand on the doorknob, her blue eyes on Kimblee, a face covered in a mischievous look. Romberg had never seen that expression before and it had him worried. To make things all the worst, Naminé suddenly reached out and ran her fingers down the side of Kimblee's face. Romberg managed to catch his jaw before it could drop.

Smiling to herself, Naminé shook her head. "I still say you should shave."

"What would you know?" Kimblee said, walking pass her and into the room. "Some girls like guys a bit rugged."

"I prefer a man without the whiskers."

"You wouldn't say that if we were cuddling."

Isabelle suddenly cleared her throat, purposely interrupting their conversation. "So how long are you two going to stay in your little world?" She asked, flipping her platinum blonde hair over her shoulder.

The Lightning Alchemist looked at her other two coworkers with an apologetic smile. "Morning, Isabelle, Romberg," Naminé said, closing the door behind her. Their own little world? Clearly Isabelle had no idea what she was talking about. She only hanged out with Kimblee on the way to and from work. But from the way Isabelle talked, she made it seem to be more than that, as if she and Kimblee was a couple.

"Morning," Romberg said. _There's nothing between them_, he told himself.

"Anything you would like to say?" Isabelle suddenly asked Kimblee.

The Crimson Alchemist smirked. "Nothing I can think of."

At this Naminé giggled and Isabelle looked back at the brunette.

_There __**can't**__ be anything between them._

Suddenly the door opened and Basque Gran strolled into the room, his mouth set into a firm line. The four subordinates stopped what they were doing and looked over their shoulders, their breaths caught in their throats. They were not expecting a visit this early from their superior. Whether they wanted to or not, the four of them saluted Basque Gran. Gran looked over them, his expression unchanging. "Romberg, Kimblee, come with me." The two men exchanged looks and headed out of the room with their superior.

"So, tell me," Isabelle started once the door was closed. "You and Kimblee. How long has it been going on?"

Naminé felt her face heating up. "What are you talking about?"

"Don't be shy. I think it's obvious what's been going on since your little date with him. I mean, he walks with you to work. He walks with you _from_ work. So much must happen between you two on the way."

"It's not like that," she insisted.

"It's not?"

-FLASHBACK-

It had been the Monday morning after the date. Naminé had woken up late. Now she was rushing around, yanking her uniform pants on, pulling a shirt over her head, and tugging her boots on all the while popping slices of bread into the toaster. As she ran back to her room, searching for her hairbrush, her blue eyes caught sight of the clock. "Aw man," she muttered, grabbing her brush off the dresser and started to brush her hair quickly. She heard the toaster go _ping!_ and she made a run for the kitchen. On the way, she heard the doorbell ring. "Coming!" She yelled, grabbing a slice of toast. The doorbell continued to ring. "I said I was coming!" However, the person didn't stop. She popped the slice of toast into her mouth and as she button up her military jacket, she walked toward the door. Naminé opened the door. She was going to yell but she couldn't. Not when she was unprepared for this encounter.

"Morning, babe."

_Why now? _She thought. She was not ready to see him so soon. Not after what had happened the other night. She could still feel his lips on hers. It was one of those sensations she couldn't get rid of and seeing him standing before her was just bringing the feeling back. The woman took the toast out of her mouth. "Morning, Kimblee," she said as casually as possible. "Is there any particular reason you're here?"

"I wanted to talk to you."

"About the date you forced me to go on?"

"You mean the date that you actually enjoyed?" Kimblee corrected with a grin. "No, not that. It's about what happened after the date."

"Oh. _That_." Naminé glanced at Kimblee's lips for a split second before forcing herself to look into his golden eyes. "What about it?"

"You're... not upset right? I mean, you know it meant nothing, right, that doesn't change anything between us?"

"Of course I do," Naminé said, giggling nervously. "It was just a kiss between coworkers that could really care less about each other and the only reason it happened was because apparently that how dates tend to end and what other incentive does the initiator has besides trying to piss off another coworker who just so happens to like the very coworker that has been asked out on this date who, by the way, had no say whatsoever in the matter because in actuality the coworker wanted to--!" Kimblee placed a finger to her lips and she instantly stopped. She didn't relax until he moved his finger away. _Why am I so nervous around him?_

"You can really talk, can't you?" Kimblee asked, his voice taking on a husky tone. He leaned closer to her, wondering if he could steal another quick kiss from her.

"Well, not really..." At the realization of what he was trying to do, Naminé lifted the toast in between their faces. Kimblee stared in confusion; Naminé looked away, her face bright red. "Toast?"

"Er..."

"Actually, you probably don't want it since it's been in my mouth." At this point, she was feeling more stupid than she had the other night for running away from him. Since when did people use bread as shields? But leave it to Kimblee to try to make the situation less awkward than it actually was.

"Doesn't matter," he said, finally taking it. The toast was dry but he figured that it was best to keep his mouth occupied with eating than with something else. "Spit never killed anyone anyway."

"You have to believe that if you're willing to swap spit with someone," she muttered, remembering when his tongue had invaded her mouth.

"What?"

"Oh, nothing," Naminé said, retreating back into her apartment. "I'll go get grab my other slice of toast and then we can walk to South HQ together, right?"

"Sure," he said, taking a bite out of the toast. "If you want to."

"Okay."

-END FLASHBACK-

"I ended up liking his company that and so I asked him to walk me to work the next day and then the next day and so on until it turned into this routine," Naminé concluded. "Of course, he decided to walk me back of his own volition. Not that I'm complaining." She supposed she could mention the occasional breakfast she made for him and herself in the morning but who knew how Isabelle would take that.

"So you two are not dating?" Isabelle repeated.

"No."

"Friends for the benefits?"

"Of course not!" Her and Kimblee friends just for the heck of... Ugh. She couldn't finish that thought.

Isabelle frowned. "And he hasn't kissed you since?"

Naminé sighed. "He hasn't." _He hasn't even tried to either. Not since that morning._

Isabelle frowned. Why was that something to be depressed about? It had seemed like she hadn't even wanted to kiss him but apparently that wasn't the case. The blonde uncrossed her legs before getting off the desk. "One last question: Do you like Kimblee?"

* * *

"Another assignment," Romberg said as the two men walked back to the office. "And just when I was getting use to the break too."

"Strange Gran didn't ask Naminé to come along with us," Kimblee said. "I wonder why."

Romberg looked at Kimblee. "Maybe he thought she would be a distraction."

"Why? Naminé always came with us before."

Romberg ran a hand through his mahogany hair, trying to find a way to sneak his question in there. But he couldn't think of a clever way to do it and so he decided a blunt, straightforward approach would be best. "What happened on your date with Naminé?" There. It was finally out in the open.

Kimblee raised an eyebrow, finding it odd that Romberg was curious about something that had happened two weeks ago. "Nothing much," he said nonchalantly. "We went out for dinner, we ate dinner, we finished dinner, I walked her home, we kissed--!" Romberg came to a sudden halt and the alchemist stopped walking. Seeing the man's expression, Kimblee smirked. "What's wrong?"

"You kissed her?" Romberg asked. He couldn't have heard right.

"We kissed, swapped spit, that whole thing." He decided to leave out the tiny part where she had pushed him away. He figured that it had no impact on the story and he didn't believe he was really lying. Telling half-truths, sure, but whatever thoughts were running through Romberg's head, those were the man's own conclusions.

"What happened to the part where Naminé is all mine and you have no interest in her?" Romberg managed to say. He couldn't get pass the 'swapping spit' part.

Kimblee shrugged. "I changed my mind. If she has no interest in you, you can't really expect me to do nothing the whole time."

* * *

"Do I like Kimblee?" Naminé repeated. It was something that had never occurred to her before, the possibility that she could have an interest in a man that people have called the mad bomber. She opened her mouth to say something but stopped herself.

Isabelle smiled knowingly to herself. "It's okay. If you don't have answer, wait until you get one and let me know, alright?" She was almost one hundred percent sure that the woman did. Kimblee could really be a charmer especially when he wanted something. Or in this case, someone. Even if Naminé didn't want to believe it herself, the truth was still there. At that moment, the door opened and the men walked back into the room. Isabelle turned her attention to them. "So what did Gran want?" She asked.

"He wanted to give us an assignment," Romberg replied. He looked away from the blonde and caught Kimblee heading toward Naminé. She was now sitting behind a desk, glancing through some paperwork. The Crimson Alchemist came behind her and placed his hands on either side of her and just for a second – Romberg decided to dismiss it as a very, very good trick of the light – Naminé smiled a little. Of course, Romberg was certain that Kimblee was saying something to the woman in a low voice.

"Naminé," Romberg suddenly said. She looked up at him. "Um, Kimblee told me something very interesting." The look on Kimblee's face was priceless. It was the only incentive he had to keep going. Romberg continued. "That you and him are hitting it off pretty well."

"Really?" Naminé said. She was completely unaware of the murderous look Kimblee was giving Romberg.

"Oh yeah," Romberg said. "He was telling me all about it. You and him making out every chance you get. Swapping, um, 'bodily fluids'. I was quite surprised that you two have been so busy the last couple of weeks."

Isabelle wasn't sure who was going to die first: Kimblee or Romberg. Naminé looked horrified but without a doubt she would soon be pissed off at the alchemist. Kimblee, on the other hand, was making his murderous intentions so obvious. Figuring that Naminé wouldn't literally kill unlike certain other pissed-off person, she grabbed Romberg by the arm. "Hallway, now," she hissed, dragging him out of the room and slamming the door behind them.

Naminé looked up at Kimblee. "Bodily fluids?" She repeated in horror. Spit was not the first thing that popped into mind.

"Romberg just twisted my words around." Kimblee moved to the other side of the desk, believing that it was a lot safer than standing behind her. Who knew what she might pull on him while she was angry and he was so near.

"And why would he do that?!"

"Because he's a jealous jackass!" Kimblee's golden eyes flickered toward the door. It wouldn't take much time to open the door and attacked the son of a gun. Kimblee knew that. But Naminé's eyes were still on him, demanding answers from him. He looked back at the woman. "You know he likes you, right? The only reason he's telling you this nonsense is because he believes that I like you, too." Kimblee paused for a moment, seeing a bit of the anger leave Naminé's face. Smirking to himself, he said, "That isn't a lie though." He paused again as he tried to read her expression. "And I know how you feel about me so why don't we make 'us' official and get it over with?"

"How are you so sure that I'm interested in you?" Naminé asked. She had turned away from him and was now looking out the window. It was so much easier to talk like this. At least this way, he couldn't see the millions of thoughts fleeting behind her eyes, the uncertainties of her answers and the risks she was hesitant about taking.

Kimblee raised an eyebrow. "I don't know, babe. You only asked me to walk you to and from work every day. And cooking breakfast me didn't mean anything. Not to mention the countless flirting."

The woman didn't how to reply. She had believed that only Isabelle and Romberg had drawn that conclusion. However, Kimblee had drawn the same conclusion for himself. She bit the bottom of her lip as she tried to think of something to say. Nothing came to mind.

When she had been quiet for quite some time, Kimblee laughed. Though he was smiling, his words were a bit dry. "You're good at giving mixed signals, aren't you?"

"It's not like that. I'm just not interested in you."

Kimblee turned away from her, his smirk only widening. "Of course not. Someone would have to be as dumb as Isabelle and Romberg to think so."

* * *

A few days later, Naminé was on her way to meet Vi and Mel for lunch. It was great to be out of the office. She couldn't take it anymore. Romberg had been coming on stronger than usual and Kimblee had kept himself distant from her in every way possible. And Isabelle... she just wasn't helping. What had happened that day in the office was on still tugging on her mind and she almost didn't want to believe all that had happened. Sure, she had always had a feeling that Romberg had a thing for her but hearing it out loud was different. Then there was Kimblee's bizarre way of confessing. Was he upset that she had rejected him after unintentionally leading him on? Not that she had meant that to happen; somewhere deep down she probably did really like Kimblee. She just had yet to come to terms with it. But why did he have to force that on her at that moment?

She spotted Vi sitting by herself, a large pizza box at the center of the table. Naminé walked over and sat down. "Where's Mel?"

"Getting her boyfriend," Vi replied with a sigh. "I told her to bring him so we could finally meet this mystery man."

"Oh. Right." A day after the office mess, Mel had been bragging about some handsome guy she had snagged for herself. Naminé had been a bit envious. Mel was fickle when it came to the opposite sex but had more success in that department than her and Vi combined. How that was possible, Naminé had yet to figure that out.

"So how's work?" Vi asked.

"It's okay," Naminé replied with a sigh. "Though there is a bit of tension in the office."

"Between Kimblee and Romberg?"

"Yep." Kimblee and Romberg's assignment had been a failure. Besides the two coming back with minor injuries, they had accomplished nothing. Gran had been upset at the two and had suggested that maybe she should come with them to make sure these disasters didn't happen. Naminé had felt proud about the semi-compliment until Kimblee said that her presence would only distract Romberg to no end and if she had came with them, said man would be dead instead of merely injured. Of course that led to Gran suggesting a Crimson-Lightning partnership and then a few words from Romberg. Nothing positive had left Romberg's mouth that day. "I kind of wish the two would get along," Naminé said. "It would make work so much easier."

"Kimblee's still mad about the rejection?"

"I can't really say," she replied. "I mean, he talks to me but we don't walk to work together anymore because he claims that he's busy each morning. He doesn't walk me home either. Not to mention he hasn't called me 'babe' since then."

Vi frowned. "I thought you hated that petname."

Naminé averted her gaze. "It grew on me." That and the fact that it was reserved only for her. She liked that part the best but she would never admit that to Vi. Vi would probably give her a long speech about how women deserved to be treated better.

Vi sighed. "Sounds like you miss his attention."

"Can you blame me?"

"If you like him this much--!"

"That's just it, Vi," Naminé interrupted, her eyebrows furrowed together. "I don't know how I feel about him. I told him that I wasn't interested in him but I don't even know if it was true when I said it."

"So instead of saying that you simply didn't know, you decided to tell him 'no' on the spot to avoid any complications," Vi concluded, receiving a nod from her friend. "It's a pity that most guys don't wait to see if the girl of interest changes her mind."

"So you think he found some other girl already?" Naminé asked, feeling a slight tug at her heart.

Vi shrugged. "I don't think so," she said. "It's been only a few days. How fast can Kimblee move on?"

"True." He couldn't have found another girl within four days. Unless he decided hook up with Sonia whom Naminé knew was dying to get him back. That was one relationship that wouldn't take long to happen. Namine hadn't like Sonia from day one and she didn't like the girl now. So if she saw them together in the next couple of days, she wouldn't know what to do at that point.

"Ooo," Vi suddenly said. "I think I see Mel!"

Naminé turned around and saw her redhead friend coming toward them. However, she was not ready to see the person Mel was with. Although she couldn't see Vi's expression, she just knew that the two of them were thinking the same thing. Yet, despite knowing that Vi didn't know the answer, she had to ask: "Why is Kimblee with her?"

"No idea."

Mel finally reached their table. She was beaming widely, passing sly glances in Kimblee's direction before reaching for his hand. "Friends, _boyfriend_, are introductions really necessary?"

"Nope," Vi said, taking a deep breath. "I think we're all pretty familiar with each other."

"More or less," Kimblee said with a smirk.

"This is great!" Mel exclaimed. "Now we can get right to the pizza!" She stopped and examined the seating arrangement. There were only four chairs and Vi and Naminé happened to be occupying the ones opposite each other. "Hey, Naminé, can you scoot over to seat next to Vi? I want to sit next to Zolfie here."

"Of course," Naminé said and switched seats. She didn't know if he did so on purpose but Kimblee decided to take the seat next to her. The Lightning Alchemist was trying to hide all her emotions and most of them she did manage to hide: her anger, her jealously, her confusion, her feeling of betrayal. But every once in a while, she could feel the hurt reaching for the surface. Her blue eyes flickered between Kimblee and Mel. It was one of those moments she wished she had seen coming.


	12. Chapter 12: The Act

**A/N: Sorry this update took forever! A little over two weeks ago, I was freaking out about finals and had to study like crazy for them (hence absence). But they're done and vacation has started. Hopefully I can get back to my one-update-a-week routine. Anyway thanks to Knightgirl4Jack, the griffin88, Ava, Alchemist of Secrets, THE Night Yagami, AnimeFreakSquee, and ningirl97 for reviewing. Enjoy this long chapter everyone and Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays!**

**CHAPTER 12-The Act:**

Vi was in her apartment that night, staring at the telephone. She was thinking about calling Mel up for numerous reasons, the main one being the Kimblee issue. Naminé had been fine in the beginning when Kimblee and Mel would kiss and mess around. But as the week had gone on, the irritation was there on her friend's face. Did it surprise Vi to how low Kimblee had sunk? Not at all. She was more surprised that Mel was involved in this. Mel knew how Naminé felt about Kimblee. To go behind her back and date him was inexcusable. What kind of person put guys before friends? Shaking her head, she walked over to the phone. It would just be a short conversation, she told herself. Short and to the point.

She dialed Mel's number and waited as she heard the phone ring.

Finally, someone picked up. "Hello?"

"Hi, Mel," Vi said, lacking enthusiasm. "How are you?"

"Fine and you?"

"Great." The woman paused. "I have a question for you. About Kimblee."

There was a sigh. "I knew this was coming."

Vi frowned. "You did?"'

"Well, duh. I mean, it's been so obvious that Naminé's been in a rather 'bitchy' mood lately. It was only a matter of time before you decided to step in like you always do, coming to her rescue."

Vi's mouth dropped open. "Are you stupid?!" She shouted into the phone. "You know _exactly_ how Naminé feels about Kimblee so don't start acting like you're surprised! You're lucky, Mel, because if I was right next to you, I would-!"

"Okay, okay, okay! Calm down before I go deaf."

Vi stopped yelling for a second and tapped her foot angrily. Then, speaking more calmly, she asked, "What's your problem? You couldn't find anyone else?"

Another sigh. "You got it all wrong. Look, I wasn't going to say anything but if you're not going to give me a piece of mind, I guess I should tell you. Just don't flip out on me, okay? Oh, and don't tell Naminé either. She might get pretty upset."

* * *

The next morning, Naminé was moving around her apartment, taking her time. There was no need to rush; unlike her usual mornings, she had gotten up early and had plenty of time to spare. After she got dressed, she headed to the kitchen to make a large breakfast. She was looking for the frying pan when the doorbell suddenly rang. She froze. _It can't be him_, she told herself as she walked over to the door. Yet she wished that it was. That way he could get a piece of her mind. Deciding not to look through the peephole, she opened the door, waiting to be surprised. But it wasn't Kimblee like she had dreaded – or had hoped – it was Vi. "Morning, Vi," she said, wishing she could sound a bit more enthusiastic.

"Morning, Naminé," Vi said, stepping into the apartment. The lack of enthusiasm didn't go unnoticed. After she closed the door, she removed her sunglasses and looked around the room with her red irises. "How are you?"

"I'm fine. And you?"

"I'm good."

Naminé headed back into the kitchen and got the eggs out of the fridge. "Did you have breakfast already?"

"Yeah I did." Vi took a seat at the kitchen table and watched her friend light the stove before putting the frying pan on top of a burner. As Naminé cracked open the eggs and pour the yolks into a bowl, Vi suddenly asked: "You and Kimblee still at it?" That wasn't the right way to phrase it but Vi wasn't too worried about that. She just wanted to get the point of her visit already.

"Don't worry about me," Naminé said. She dumped the shells out and got out a spoon to batter the yolks together. "I'm completely over him."

"There was something to get over?"

The alchemist sighed as she opened the cabinet and got out the vegetable oil. "Of course not," she finally replied, pouring some vegetable oil into the frying pan. After all the prep, she finally turned on the stove. "I meant that I'm done with him and his antics. If he suddenly wants to date Mel, that's fine by me. Because I really don't care. If he's willing to be a jerk and she's willing to date such a jerk, then they truly deserve each other." She poured the egg yolk into the frying pan and there was a faint sizzling sound.

Hearing her friend's words, Vi wondered if she should tell her what Mel had said last night. Apparently Naminé was on her own road to 'recovery'; she was getting over the fact that Kimblee was dating Mel. _Maybe she doesn't need to know_, Vi thought. There was no point in telling Naminé something that would only make the situation worse. "I guess so.," she said. "But I would never think that the two of them would get together."

"It's my fault for introducing them to each other," Naminé said. She opened a drawer and pulled out the spatula. Closing the drawer with her hip, she proceeded to turn over the eggs. "I should have known he would be attracted to girls like Mel. Not like I'm regretting that because, like I said, I have no interest in him."

Vi cocked an eyebrow. "Right," she said slowly.

Naminé turned around. "You know what I don't get? The fact that he can be a complete gentleman one day and turn into a jackass the next. If he was interested in Mel in the first place, why bother taking me out on a date, kissing me, and then saying he liked me only to date Mel a couple of weeks later? If he had just told me he wanted to date Mel from the beginning instead of using me to get close to her, I would have completely underst-Oh crap!" She had caught the faint smell of something burning. Realizing it was the eggs, she quickly transferred the frying pan to another burner and turned off the stove.

"To be honest," Vi started. "I don't get what you and Mel see in him so much. I'm only putting up with him simply because _you_ liked having him around." The woman sighed and looked away. "If I were you, I would date other men and move on."

"Too bad there aren't many options," Naminé said. "The one guy I wouldn't mind dating is all the way in Central."

"What about Romberg?"

"He's sweet but..."

"But what?"

"I don't know."

* * *

Dating Romberg wasn't something Naminé would have thought of by herself. There was nothing wrong about him. He was good-looking, acted halfway decent, and probably more reliable than Kimblee at this point. At the same time, there was a slight reluctance to follow through with the idea. Was it her or was it him? The Lightning Alchemist sighed as she climbed the stairs of South Headquarters and walked inside. It was quiet at this time of day, considering that either people had yet to arrive or they were holed up in an office somewhere. The alchemist wasn't a fan of the quiet; it gave her mind too much freedom, allowing it to think about the things that she didn't want to think about.

"Naminé!"

She stopped and turned around, smiling a little. "Hello, Romberg."

Romberg reached her side. "You're more than welcome to call me Thad, you know."

"Okay, _Thad_," she said. 'Thad' wasn't going to stick for long; she was certain that she would eventually revert back to using his last name. It was what she was used to using.

Unexpectedly, Romberg's arm wrapped its way around her shoulders. Her face bright red, she looked at him, her thoughts of what-are-you-doing written across her face. Romberg laughed nervously and quickly removed his arm. Feeling awkward now, Naminé averted her gaze. '_What about Romberg?' _Naminé shook her head, trying to get the thought out of her head. Now she wished that Vi hadn't thrown that idea out there. "So where are Isabelle and Kimblee?"

"Isabelle is talking to Gran about something," he replied. "And Kimblee's in the office with his girlfriend."

Naminé almost stopped walking. "You mean Mel's here?"

"Yeah."

It took some time for the shock to go away. "That's great," she said, her voice lacking enthusiasm.

Romberg frowned. "Are you two in an argument?"

"Me and Kimblee are just fine," she replied, folding her arms.

He raised an eyebrow. "I meant you and Mel."

Naminé cringed at her error and laughed it off. "We're great, too." That had been presumptuous of her and she could understand the weird look that had flickered across Romberg's face. _He should have been more specific_, she thought to herself. Or perhaps she should have asked him who he meant. The two reached the office and the woman prepared herself to see Mel all over Kimblee. But when Romberg opened the door, she was quite surprised to see that Mel and Kimblee were on opposite sides of the room.

Mel grinned. "Morning, Naminé! Romberg!"

"Morning," Naminé said. She watched her friend walked over to Kimblee and wrapped her arms around him. _And of course they're back at it, _she thought bitterly. She had hoped that she would have gotten used to this. But for whatever reason, she hadn't. It irked her more and more as time went on. Maybe she was longing to be with someone and was envious of the fact that Mel had someone. Maybe it had something to do with Kimblee being the object of Mel's affection. Maybe it was a combination of the two. Seeing that the lovey-dovey stuff was not over, the alchemist averted her gaze. Sometimes she wondered if they were just doing this to piss her off.

"I'll see you later, Zolfie," Mel said as she walked over to the door. She stopped by Naminé. "I'll see you at lunch right? I would totally hate it if it was just me and Vi there."

Naminé shrugged. "Sure."

"Awesome," Mel grinned. "I'll see you later then." With that, she walked out the room.

"_Zolfie_?" Romberg repeated with a grin. "Is there a reason why she's still walking around in one piece?"

Kimblee smirked. "Well if you want certain things, you have to let other things slide, right?"

At this, Romberg laughed. "Right. Of course."

Naminé folded her arms. "What things?" She demanded, her blue eyes glaring at Kimblee.

"From the way you're going, Thomson, it's nothing you'll be getting any time soon."

After hanging around her for months, Romberg was getting better at picking up on Naminé's moods and predicting her movements. A step toward Kimblee and he was there to grab her wrist and keep her back. He didn't have to put a whole lot of effort; her attempt to close the distance between herself and the Crimson Alchemist had been half-hearted. However, he didn't think the situation had been defused. As if to prove his theory, Naminé spoke up:

"When she hears about this, you'll be dead."

Kimblee smirked. "That's wishful thinking, isn't it, Thomson? That me and Mel would break up over something so small?"

Romberg was ready for Naminé to leap at Kimblee but the woman had given up struggling. In fact, she was quiet for the next few moments. She sighed. "It's not like that," she finally stated. "If you're going to be a complete ass to her, than you don't deserve to be with her. Simple as that." She turned toward Romberg. "Can I have my wrist back, please?"

"Sure," Romberg replied. He let go and watched Naminé leave the office. He quickly glanced at Kimblee and noticed that his smirk was gone now. The Crimson Alchemist was now looking at the window, lost in thought. "What am I missing here?" Romberg asked, raising an eyebrow. He hadn't forgotten Naminé's slip in the hallway earlier.

"Nothing too important."

* * *

As usual, Naminé was heading over to the café for lunch. She didn't really want to go, mostly because Mel would be there, but when she compared eating with Mel to eating with Kimblee, the former appeared to be the lesser of two evils. She didn't hate Mel; she just hated the stories Mel shared about herself and Kimblee and what they did the 'previous night'. At the beginning, the stories had been somewhat tolerable. She had been able to listen to them fine. But now with every story that sprang up, Naminé felt more and more irritated. Sometimes she caught herself wishing that the two of them would just break up. She did feel guilty that she was hoping for that to happen out of all things. It didn't make her feel any better that Kimblee had picked up on that as well.

"Naminé!"

The alchemist looked up and was surprised to find that she was at the café already. Her friends were waving her over from their usual table. She headed over and took her seat. "So we're having a food platter today?" She asked, studying the assortment of food arranged inside the basket.

"We can't have pizza _every_ day," Vi pointed out. "It's unhealthy."

Mel reached in for a mozzarella stick. "Besides, change can be good," she added before eating the cheesy delight. Her green eyes went around the table. "So any new stories?" Both girls shook their heads and the redhead sighed. "Unbelievable. I swear I'm the only one who has anything worth telling. You know what? You two need boyfriends."

"Well, there is this one guy I've been talking to," Vi said. "Nothing special really but something might develop."

Mel nodded with approval before she looked at Naminé. "Anything going for you?"

The alchemist sighed. "Nothing."

Mel giggled. "To think you might have actually gotten a boyfriend a few weeks ago. Too bad you told him no." She ignored the expression on Naminé's face and went on, her own smile getting wider. "Oh well. Your loss is my gain, right?"

Naminé opened her mouth to say something but stopped. She was speechless. Unsure of what to say, she reached for a fry. _Her_ loss? "I guess he's that great, huh?" Naminé asked, her blue eyes narrowing slightly. She needed practice at making snappier comments.

"Uh-maze-_ing_," Mel replied, emphasizing each syllable of the word. "Makes me happy you didn't get him. Hm... Is something wrong, Naminé? You look a little-!"

Vi couldn't keep quiet anymore. "Mel? Just shut up." Her tone was even but her words were still sharp. She didn't want to interrupt but Mel was acting more obnoxious than she needed to be. She looked at Naminé. _She really is pissed off about this_, she thought with a frown, her gaze shifting over to Mel. "Can we talk about something else that has real substantial value? There are more important things than men."

"You say that now," Mel replied. "But when one of us is old and lonely-!"

"And who's that going to be?" Naminé asked.

The redhead laughed. "Well, it's definitely not going to be me."

"Mel," Vi said, trying to get her to stop but the redhead didn't seem like she wanted to drop the subject.

She went on. "And Vi's making some progress so I guess that just leaves-"

"Me," Naminé finished. The poor food platter lied abandoned in the center of the table.

Grinning now, Mel leaned back in her seat, her green eyes on the brunette. "Sometimes I feel like you want me to break up with Zolfie so I can join you in your loneliness. Or maybe you hope that once Zolfie is available, you can just slink your way ov-!"

"Mel!"

Mel looked at Vi. "What?"

Vi turned away and looked at Naminé. The alchemist was glaring at the redhead as if she was waiting for her to cross some line, to give her some excuse to retaliate. But the alchemist had too much patience for her own good, Vi was beginning to realize. One week of this nonsense and no real form of retaliation, although Mel was laying this thicker than usual.

"Naminé," Vi said.

Naminé looked away from Mel. "Yeah?" She was surprised that her anger hadn't leaked into her voice.

"There's something you need to know," Vi started.

"Vi," Mel suddenly said. "You said you wouldn't say anything."

Vi ignored Mel, keeping her focus on the alchemist. "And if I don't tell you now, I'll probably regret it later."

"Vi," Mel hissed. She seemed like she was stuck between doing nothing and leaping across the table to clamp a hand over her friend's mouth. But at the same time, there was a pleading look on her face that was begging for her not to say anything, hoping her expression was enough.

Vi reached into the basket and pulled out a mozzarella stick. She looked at it before popping it into her mouth. "Mozzarella sticks – you should really try them." Mel and Naminé gave her the funniest looks but she easily shrugged them off. She reached into the basket again. "Really. They're that good."

* * *

About an hour later, Naminé came back to the office. Isabelle, Kimblee, and Romberg were already inside, all oddly surrounding one desk. Instead of doing the sudden mountain of paperwork, they were talking about something rather heatedly. She didn't feel like getting into another argument but figured that this one couldn't be too bad. "Hey guys," she greeted, closing the door behind her. "What's going on?"

Isabelle turned toward the brunette. "We're talking about Ishbal."

"Can't say I know much about it," Naminé said with a frown. It wasn't exactly on her radar these days. While she did know it was going on, it was so far removed from life here. Not many soldiers brought it up either and the only time they did was when there was a real development in the uprising, either when the Ishbalans had turned the tide or the soldiers had.

"Well, Romberg heard a rumor about some draft," Isabelle said. "And Kimblee said that they wouldn't bother because it would be _so_ much smarter to send in State Alchemists to take care of the situation."

"Tell him why it's a dumb idea," Romberg asked Naminé. Apparently Kimblee had been downplaying Romberg's intelligence on the issue.

"Er..." Naminé wasn't exactly sure what the answer should be. The war had been going on for several years, she knew that much. The Fuhrer had to have a good reason for not sending State Alchemists into the battle yet. "To be honest, I'm not really sure," she said, unable to think of an explanation.

The office phone rang and she walked over to pick it up, leaving Romberg to defend his point. "Hello?"

"Hi. There's someone waiting on the other line. Someone named Alvina Martine."

"Oh." The Lightning Alchemist looked over her shoulder to make sure that the others weren't looking. It wasn't exactly protocol to accept personal calls. She turned away. "Patch her through." There was a click and then another voice.

"Naminé?"

"Hey Vi," the Lightning Alchemist said, glancing back at her coworkers again. Apparently, her inability to give an answer had somehow helped Kimblee in proving his point. "So about those Mozzarella sticks?"

"What about them?"

"You weren't serious were you? That if you didn't tell me how good they are, you'd regret it later?"

"Of course not. What I wanted to tell you... it has to deal with Kimblee and Mel."

Naminé sighed. "You don't have to try assuring me that it's not going to last long. I don't care if they wanted to get married the next day... They're not, right?"

Vi snorted on the other side. "Like Mel can make any _real_ commitment to a guy."

"So what's the big secret?"

"I don't know where to start without sounding so blunt."

The brunette frowned and looked over her shoulder at Kimblee. "Okay. Then try to _not_ make it so blunt."

"I'll try... Kimblee and Mel... They're not really dating."

Naminé frowned and looked at Kimblee again. "They're not?"

"Nope."

She folded her arms, trying to make sense of what Vi was saying. "I don't get it. They've been at it the last week or so and now you're telling me they're not serious? You're not making sense, Vi."

And so Vi tried to make sense. Naminé sat down in a chair and tried to remain there throughout the whole entire explanation. It took a while for it to sink in, that all this was some ploy to make her jealous. "But why?" She asked when Vi was done. It took a lot of effort to not turn around and snap at Kimblee.

"I don't know what motivated Kimblee but Mel said she was doing you a favor. Something about helping you to finally get a _real_ boyfriend."

"That's so stupid!" Naminé exclaimed, standing up suddenly. "I can't believe they thought this was going to work!"

"I didn't think it was going to work either, the jealousy part. Until I saw how obvious your feelings were at lunch. You kept giving Mel so much ammunition to work with. You know, if she out of all people noticed, I'm pretty sure Kimblee noticed to."

"You think?" She asked, remembering this morning.

"I know. We'll talk later, okay?"

"Alright. Bye." Naminé hanged up the phone and stood there for a while, lost in thought. The woman was upset but at the same time, she was relieved as well. He still wanted her, a fact that she would celebrate with disdain. This was not something she should be happy about, she kept reminding herself. She didn't notice that her three coworkers were rather quiet until Isabelle asked, "What's 'so stupid' Naminé?"

Naminé turned around and saw that the three of them was looking at her. "Um..." When had they started listening to her side of the conversation?

Kimblee suddenly snorted. "You really shouldn't be tying up the line for your personal business."

"And you shouldn't be a manipulative jerk!" The words were out before she could reconsider them. _I guess they weren't listening long_, she thought, glancing at each of her friends' expressions. "I'm going out for a bit," she announced, walking toward the door. The faster she got out, the better.


	13. Chapter 13: The Bodyguard Assignment

**A/N: This chapter is really, really overdue. I'm surprised it's been eight months since I've updated this one. I had a bad case of writing block and I think college is part of the reason. All the tests and studying and stress sort of just sucked my creativity out of me. I had started three different versions (this one is the third) that I didn't know where to go with. But now that some of my creativity is coming back, I've found some direction. While this story is mostly based on the first FMA anime, I've decided to base the world itself on the manga. So instead of just Ishbal and Amestris, there are also places like Drachma, Xing, and so on. So yeah. Here it is. Enjoy.**

**CHAPTER 13—The Bodyguard Assigment:**

He was a jerk?

By now, Zolf J. Kimblee would have gotten over that statement. It had been two weeks after all. There were worse things to be called, he _had_ heard worse things. But he didn't understand why every minute Naminé felt compelled to give him that 'I know' look. He already knew that _she_ knew. There was no real reason for her to be acting so, so... She was one irritating woman; he would happily admit that much. Leaning back in his chair, feet on his desk and arms behind head, the young man wondered how he would begin to tackle the issue. Apparently blatantly ignoring her the last few weeks was not working to his advantage.

_At least no one is here yet_, he thought to himself. He didn't have to listen to Isabelle complain about his attitude or Romberg talk about his date with the Lightning Alchemist for the umpteenth time. He would still rather deal with them than his fellow alchemist but difference was barely there between the two levels of irritation. He needed to get out of Southern Headquarters, go on a solo mission or something. If he didn't, he would probably crack and accidently blow something up.

The office door opened and Isabelle and Romberg walked in. They were just on time. Barely. "No Naminé yet?" Isabelle asked, scratching her head.

"She called me and said that she'd be a little late," Romberg announced.

Kimblee glanced over at the two. "So the two of you are that close, huh?" He asked nonchalantly.

Romberg raised an eyebrow at Kimblee's comment. Was that sarcasm? Even if his gut was saying yes-it-was, Romberg responded as nonchalantly as possible. "That's one way of putting it." He was tempted to go into elaborate details but held his tongue. Isabelle had already told him that after hearing the story so many times, Kimblee would probably blow him up the next time. The man didn't take Isabelle's comment so seriously but he knew what she meant.

The blonde cleared her throat loudly, trying to get the boys' attention. They looked at her and she smiled. Immediately she strode over and sat on top of Kimblee's desk, crossing her legs. "So if the Colonel comes, what do we tell him?" Isabelle asked, watching as Romberg went across the room and lean on his desk. "About Naminé, I mean."

"That's she's late," Kimblee answered.

"We should try to cover for her at least," Isabelle insisted. "She would do the same for you."

Kimblee laughed. "Yeah, right."

Isabelle rolled her eyes. "You've heard of karma, right?"

"Isabelle, you should know that Kimblee doesn't believe in things like that," Romberg stated.

"Is that so?"

Kimblee smirked. "He's right, you know. If I did believe in it, I wouldn't be called 'the mad bomber.'" Like someone could ever manage to blow _him_ up.

At that moment, the door opened. Basque Gran stood in the doorway, a folder tucked underneath his arm. Romberg quickly stood up straight, Isabelle hopped off the desk, and Kimblee stood up. All three saluted their superior. "At ease soldiers," he commanded. His eyes swept across the room before he asked, "Where's Naminé?" There was silence. He raised an eyebrow and walked further into the room. "Where is she?" Gran reiterated, eying each and every one of his soldiers.

"Bathroom, sir," Kimblee replied automatically. Immediately, he wondered why he had to be the one to speak up. He wasn't even sure why he was protecting the woman.

"Bathroom?" Gran questioned, as if he found a difficult time believing that one.

Kimblee didn't waver when he gave his answer. "Yes sir."

The group heard foot patter coming from down the hallway and the sound was getting closer. Suddenly Naminé burst into the room, slightly out of breath. "Guys, I'm so sorry I'm..." Her voice trailed off when she noticed that Colonel Gran was also in the room. She must have stood there for a good few seconds before she remembered that she had to salute her superior officer. Her feet came together and her hand shot up into the air, landing adjacent by her forehead. _What do I say, what do I say? _"Sir?"

"At ease," he said with a slight distaste. Gran caught Naminé looking at her three coworkers as for a hint as to what was going on. He quickly stared back at Kimblee, Romberg, and Isabelle, giving them a warning look before turning back to the Lightning Alchemist. "Where were you?"

"I was in, the, um," Naminé stumbled a bit, trying to think of what to say. "Bathroom sir?"

Gran looked at her, not sure of what to say. Chances were that she was lying and he could easily to check the sign-in log. But sometimes the clerk had a habit of shaving off a few minutes from a soldier's arrival time and since Naminé's answer had matched up with Kimblee's, Gran decided to let it go. The man moved onto business, throwing the folder he had been carrying onto a desk. "This is briefing for you next mission. It's a simple mission that the four of you should be able to pull off."

"The four of us, sir?" Isabelle asked, not sure why she was getting dragged along.

Gran seemingly ignored her. "Your mission is to protect a foreign official on his trip to Central HQ. He only talks the native language of Aerugo, which I've heard that you're quite familiar with, Stonewall. That's why you're going."

"I understand, sir," she replied.

Gran headed for the door. "I want all of you to read the necessary information in that folder. I'll be back later." With that, he exited the room and disappeared down the hallway.

The four soldiers looked at each other before surrounding the folder. Isabelle opened it and started sifting through the papers. There must have been a few dozen papers and it made them wonder what exactly would classify as 'necessary information.' They each resigned to taking a few papers and reading them.

"So what's the deal with Aerugo?" Naminé asked. "We're not at war with them right?"

"You really are clueless," Kimblee muttered. If he had looked up, he would have seen Naminé's death glare. If only she knew that he had saved her ass moments before and Kimblee almost wanted to tell her.

"Border issues really," Romberg replied. "Plus a few rumors that Aerugo is supplying weapons to Ishval but I doubt that's what this meeting's about." He flipped through his papers, skimming the information. "Yep. Definitely about border issues. Things have been quiet for a while now but that's mostly because we've pushed them back onto their lands."

"We've been doing a lot of that, haven't we?" Isabelle said, placing her papers on the desk and picking up a new set. "We're in Ishbal and we have ongoing problems with Drachma."

"And Creta?" Naminé asked, wondering what that country's relationship was like with Amestris.

"Border issues there too," Romberg stated. "And by the way, the Aerugoian official's name is Diamante Romano."

"Got it," Isabelle said.

"Why are you so excited about this?" Kimblee asked. "We'd be lucky if anything excited happens."

"I'm happy because I get to speak Aerugoian," Isabelle said. She didn't know anyone who spoke the language – besides her parents of course – so this meeting would give her a chance to refresh her memory. "Though it's been a while since I've last spoken it."

"So you were born in Aerugo?" Naminé asked.

The blonde shook her head. "My parents were though and I picked up the language from them."

Romberg started looking for the next set of papers to grab. "Hey, guys? Do you think we'll have to memorize all this junk?"

* * *

A week later, the group was standing in the train station near South Headquarters. For the mission, they were told to wear ordinary clothes instead of their usual military uniforms. The reason – to draw less attention to themselves. Isabelle had taken this liberty as far as she could. She was wearing a short skirt and a low cut shirt with a jacket over it. So while the point was to draw as little attention as possible, she was drawing a whole other kind of attention. Isabelle glanced over at Kimblee and smiled. "You didn't bring your pocket watch?"

"It's in my pocket," he replied.

Isabelle turned toward Naminé. "Yours too." The woman nodded. Isabelle examined her coworker. "You could have dressed in something a little more... sexier." At this Kimblee laughed, but the blonde paid the man no mind. "Honestly, Naminé. You shouldn't be afraid to put yourself out there some more."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Romberg interrupted. "But I think Naminé looks fantastic."

Naminé sighed. _Then why were you gawking at Isabelle but managed to keep your jaw up at me?_ How she would love to ask him that. Usually she wouldn't mind a mission. She was already used to having missions with Kimblee and Romberg. But now that Isabelle was here, it felt like their little office drama and the chaos it usually brought were coming along as well. And knowing that this mission would at least be three days long was not very reassuring for the female alchemist.

She looked over her shoulder seeing that the other three were talking among themselves. Kimblee was dressed in slacks and black tank shirt. Romberg was wearing a button-down shirt and dark jeans. So Naminé didn't understand what was wrong with her clothes. A simple pair of jeans and a t-shirt was just fine in her opinion. It was Isabelle who wanted to dress up.

There was a whistle in the background as one of the trains left the station, probably heading east. If she remembered correctly, that was the train scheduled to leave before theirs. When would Gran arrive with that official, she couldn't help but wonder. She was eager to get the mission over with.

She looked around and spotted Colonel Basque Gran – who was dressed in ordinary street clothes – heading in their direction, a man trailing behind him. The man looked to be in his early forties. He had slicked back brown hair and was cleanly shaven. He also wore ordinary street clothes. Naminé was sure that this man was Diamante Romano.

Basque Gran reached the group and they saluted him. "At ease," he said. "This is the official mentioned in the briefing, Mister Diamante Romano."

The Aegoroian shook their hands as his greeting to his protectors. He turned and said something to Gran, throwing the colonel for a loop until Isabelle decided to translate:

"He said thanks for bringing him this far," she beamed. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the man boarding the train already. "Goodbye sir." She hurried off after Romano, eager to escape Gran. Apparently her coworkers were too for they said goodbye fairly quickly and took off after the blonde. But then they were forced to stop.

"Stonewall , Kimblee, Romberg, Thomson," Gran stated. The four slowly turned around and faced their superior. "Don't mess this up."

* * *

The train was in full motion heading north now. Inside the train, private compartments were lined on one side while the tables and chairs were on the other. In the middle was the carpeted aisle, which, around meal time, the waiters would come down and ask for orders. It was the afternoon already so lunch was already taken care of. Dinner was what was left and that wouldn't come for another two hours. That could easily explain why Romberg was in a grouchy mood. The man had skipped lunch, something he now regretted doing.

"'Don't mess this up,'" Romberg mocked, trying to keep his mind off his empty stomach. Romberg was talking with Naminé and Kimblee. They were at a table positioned right outside of a private compartment that held Romano and Isabelle. "Gran had to be kidding. If he was that concerned, he shouldn't have given us this assignment."

"I wouldn't be complaining," Kimblee said. He leaned back into his train seat and placed his hands behind his head. "All our expenses are covered the next few days."

"That is true," Romberg said thoughtfully. He glanced at Naminé. She had been rather quiet from the time she had sat down next to him. He gently elbowed the woman and she looked at him. He grinned. "Okay. What's wrong, Naminé?"

"Nothing," she replied.

Kimblee smirked. "You can't stand the sight of my face," he said. "Is that it?"

Naminé turned to face him and faked a smile. "Wow. You're a lot smarter than I thought, Kimblee."

His smirked changed into a smile, partly because he wanted to mimic her and partly because he found this all amusing. "What else could it be? After I went out with Mel, you've been, well, I dunno, what's the word?" Kimblee pretended to give this some thought before turning toward Naminé. "Perhaps you can help me out here, Thomson. You know, since you're so smart and all."

"I can't really think of it," she said.

"Really?" He feigned innocence. "A word along the lines of being 'jealous' and 'bitchy'. You sure you can't think of it?" The man wasn't quite sure there was such a word but he got his point across and that was all that mattered.

Romberg laughed nervously and looked at the private compartment, waiting for the door to slide open. _Where is Isabelle when you need her_, he thought, wishing that the blonde would just walk out and act as a buffer. Giving up hope, he looked at Naminé and patted her on the back. "Don't take Kimblee too seriously. He's just messing around."

_I can't let him get the best of me_, Naminé thought. _If I do, what does that say? _"You brought some playing cards, right, Romberg?"

The man nodded and reached into his pocket. He pulled out a deck of cards and set it on the table. "You want to play a game?"

"Sure," Naminé said. "The three of us," she added, glancing at the Crimson Alchemist.

"Okay," Romberg said slowly as he shuffled the deck. "How about Poker?"

"Sure," she said. "Just to pass the time."

Romberg dealt the cards. From that point on the three of them dedicated the next half hour to playing poker. Romberg had the most wins, followed by Kimblee and then by Naminé. After he won again, Romberg passed the deck to Naminé and stood up. "I'll be back in a few minutes," he told them. "You two can play a game or two while I'm gone." They nodded and he walked toward the end of the train compartment before disappearing into the bathroom.

Naminé started to shuffle the deck, not bothering to look at Kimblee. She wasn't even sure how she could sit across from him so calmly. She stopped shuffling and dealt the cards, five for him then five for her. She studied her hand and saw that she already had a pair.

"You're still mad at me?"

Naminé looked up at Kimblee. His eyes were currently on his hand. She hadn't expected him to ask that. In fact, she didn't understand why he wanted to know in the first place. She looked back at her own hand and discarded three. Then she reached for another three cards from the deck. If only she had known, she would have kept that seven from before. Her blue eyes flickered in his direction. "I am," she admitted. "Why did you do it anyway?"

Kimblee discarded one card and reached for another. There was no reason to clarify what she meant; he knew it was about dating her friend. "The real reason?"

"That would be nice," she said.

"What can I say?Your friend's hot and... I wanted to annoy you a little." Kimblee displayed his hand on the table, revealing four of a kind. Naminé sighed and dropped her hand. He would have been happy that he had won but there was nothing on the line. He watched her shuffle the deck again, reading her face. He knew that she was thinkiing 'I knew it'. He had to change the game up a little. He didn't want the woman to think she had figured him down to his core. As far as he was concerned, no one ever had. "At first anyway."

She stopped what she was doing and looked up at him. "At first?"

The Crimson Alchemist smirked. He now had her undivided attention. "A part of me likes seeing you angry."

"What?" Naminé didn't follow what he was saying. Or better yet, didn't want to. Was this another ploy to get under her skin?

"This bad side of you comes out and I kinda like it," Kimblee elaborated. "It's kind of a turn on knowing you're not so innocent." Normally he wouldn't have looked at her, trying to play if off like he didn't care what she was thinking. But this time around, he wanted to know what she was thinking and when she didn't reply, he couldn't help but smirk. Her expression was priceless. He continued. "I wanted to know to what lengths you would go to break us up. Romberg said you weren't that kind of girl but we know better, right, babe?" Kimblee had really meant to say 'Thomson.' 'Babe' had just slipped out due to old habit. However, he wasn't going to worry about that. He was more curious about her response.

Naminé opened her mouth to say something, anything, but no words came out. This was the scheme behind the scheme? She wanted to call him a jerk because that what he really was. Unfortunately she had used that so many times in the past several months that the word had lost its meaning. She threw a card at him but when it landed halfway across the table, Kimblee burst out laughing. The Lightning Alchemist folded her arms and looked away. He was so infuriating!

Romberg came back and was sort of confused by the scene. He didn't understand why Kimblee was laughing so much. He would have thought a clever joke had been made but Naminé looked too pissed off. He slipped back into his seat and reached for the abandoned deck of cards. "Did I miss something?"

"Nothing much," Naminé lied. She didn't need Romberg getting involved in this. She would have to pay Kimblee back dearly. Somehow.

The private compartment opened and Isabelle came out. "No problems I assume?"

"You mean disputes between us, or..." Romberg let his sentence trailed off, not wanting to say too much.

"The other thing," she responded. She plopped down next to Romberg, forcing the two-seater to become a three-seater.

"None whatsoever," Romberg said. "Do you want something?" While he didn't mind being in the middle of two girls, he found himself uncomfortably squashed.

Isabelle's dropped down low, so surrounding passengers wouldn't hear them. "A firearm would be nice if you have extra."

"You can use one?" Naminé asked, forgetting her Kimblee problems for the moment.

Isabelle grinned. "I used to be a full-fledged soldier until I sort of gave that up," she explained as Romberg took a small pistol that had been tucked away behind his belt and passed it to the blonde. She hid it in a pocket on the interior of her jacket. "So I'm decent with using them."

"Oh." She was stilling having trouble of seeing Isabelle as gunman. She didn't have that demeanor.

"I better go," Isabelle said, standing up. "Mr. Romano's probably waiting for me."

"Flirting with him?" Kimblee asked, raising an eyebrow. The moment he spoke, Naminé could feel her anger swelling up inside.

Isabelle pursed her lips together, trying to disguise her smile. "Of course not," she said and hurried back to the compartment.

"She's lying," Kimblee stated.

"Probably," Romberg said.

Naminé didn't comment. Instead she looked out the window. She was angry but not so much at Kimblee. She was angry that she was so confused. What Kimblee had said to her, she didn't know what to make of it. That couldn't be his way of admitting that he liked her. _Why should I care? I'm already dating nice guy. Not exclusively but still. _She supposed if Kimblee could read her mind, he would arrogantly claim that she still liked him. And to be honest, he wouldn't be that far from the truth.

**A/N: Next chapter (which should be up way before another eight months) will have some action and a little more drama. The mission can't go perfectly right? Thanks to thegriffin88 and Mew Cinda for their reviews (I wished I thanked you a lot sooner). Also I want to thank those who added this story to their favorites/alert lists. It shows that people are still reading and it makes me happy. So yeah, thanks to those who've read this chapter and if you can, leave a review! Till later. **


	14. Chapter 14: Thinking About Him

**A/N: Hey! I updated a lot earlier this time. I thought that there would be some action but it's all drama and romance. Not every mission should be a botch, right? Besides, in a few more chapters (hopefully four), I'll get to touch on Ishbal! So action will be there, I promise! Anyway, enjoy this update.**

**CHAPTER 14—Thinking About Him:**

Once they reached Central, the party of five first went to the hotel. Thanks to special arrangements, the group had suites on the fourth floor near the end of the corridor. The girls had a double to themselves. Across from them was another double where Romberg would stay with Romano. Next to that room was yet another double that Kimblee had all to himself. That led to some conflicts about who should get their own room but after considering Kimblee's lack of concern for anyone's well-being, including Romano's, no one dared to change sleeping arrangements.

Naminé threw herself on her full-sized bed as Isabelle started to unpack her suitcase. The alchemist turned her head and glanced at the clock. It was only after six. "What do we do now?"

"Dinner," Isabelle replied as she put a pair of dress shoes down. "Romano told me that he has plans to eat somewhere nice. Apparently he already made arrangements with the Fuhrer beforehand."

Naminé sat up. This was news to her. "He needs bodyguards to go with him tonight, right?"

"Two should be enough," Isabelle said.

"So which two?" Naminé already knew that Isabelle would be going; she was the translator of the group. It was a matter of who would fill the second spot. Romberg seemed the likely choice. He was rational and actually considered the consequences of his actions unlike her and Kimblee.

"Me of course," Isabelle said as she pulled out a silky evening dress from her suitcase. "And Kimblee."

"Kimblee?" Naminé said, surprise ringing in her voice. She had just mentally prepared herself for tonight, telling herself alone time with Kimblee couldn't be so bad. But all her mental preparations were rendered meaningless and now she didn't know what to expect tonight.

"Yeah." Isabelle smiled knowingly. "We both thought that you and Romberg would like some quality time together."

"You _both_ thought that?"

"Is that really so hard to believe?"

Naminé stared at her coworker with raised eyebrows. Isabelle asked as if she had forgotten who they were talking about. Kimblee even agreeing with these arrangements were so contradictory of his actions on the train. _Assuming he still likes me_, Naminé added in her mind. But if he didn't like her, would it still be contradictory then?

"I guess not," the Lightning Alchemist said slowly. She closed her eyes, trying to imagine what an evening with Romberg would be like. Nothing came to mind. "So why Kimblee?" Naminé asked.

Isabelle shrugged. "I wanted to have fun with someone tonight."

"What sort of fun?"

"Not the kind that Romberg and Kimblee have been joking about during the whole train ride," she said with a roll of the eyes. "Can't they see that Mr. Romano's a little old for me?"

Naminé gave a short laugh but only because she had been part of that bandwagon not so long ago. Isabelle had spent so much time in that private compartment with Romano that it had seemed a bit odd. "So can you elaborate what 'fun' you mean?" She asked.

"Well..." Isabelle paused and thought about her answer. "Kimblee may be a little uncontrollable but he's not by-the-book like Romberg is. The less rules you follow, the more liberated and fun you can be. And who else knows that limit than Zolf J. Kimblee."

"True..." It made sense considering the stuff that Kimblee did. He had yet to be kicked out of the military and tossed in prison.

"Now that we clarified that," Isabelle said as she picked up her clothes for the night, "I'll be getting ready for my 'date' with Kimblee." With that, she walked into the bathroom to get ready.

* * *

An hour later, Naminé stood outside in the hallway with Kimblee and Isabelle. Isabelle was wearing a strapless silver dress. It stopped a little pass her ankles and had a slit that went up her leg. To complete her elegant look, her hair was done in a tight bun. Kimblee wore a black suit and a white dress shirt. A tie hanged undone around his neck and his hair was pulled back in its normal ponytail. They all waited for Romano to emerge from his room.

"You forgot about your tie," Isabelle said, her green eyes on Kimblee in a feral manner.

"You want to do it for me," Kimblee said. It was clear that he wasn't asking as much as stating a fact.

"If you don't mind," Isabelle said with a smile. It didn't take her long to get in front of Kimblee and take hold of his tie. She gave the tie a tug. "It's not hard to do, you know."

"So I wonder what's taking Mr. Romano so long," Naminé suddenly interrupted. She didn't think she could handle much of Isabelle's flirting.

"Maybe he's trying to find something," Isabelle suggested as she did Kimblee's tie. "His shoes, maybe?" When she finished, she patted the Crimson Alchemist on the chest and flashed a grin at him. "Tonight is going to be so much fun," she told the two. "All expense-paid meal at the most chic restaurant in Central."

"_The_?" Naminé asked, clearly surprised.

"Yep," Isabelle responded. "The food should be exquisite. And that is not a word I use often."

The Lightning Alchemist had thought it was just an expensive restaurant. But the usage of 'the' and 'exquisite' put the restaurant on a whole new level. She wanted to go and now that she thought about it, she didn't understand why Isabelle didn't choose her. The blonde couldn't possibly think that Kimblee was more fun than her. Right? She wanted to know if that was the case or there was something more to the situation. However, she wasn't going to ask that question now. Not in front of Kimblee. His ego was big enough.

Romberg finally emerged out his room and Romano followed behind him, fully dressed. "He's ready to go," Romberg said. His brown eyes flickered in Naminé's direction.

Isabelle said something to Romano quickly before turning to face the others. "Naminé, Romberg, be good," she said before she linked her arm in Kimblee's and ignored the man's stare. "We'll see you later, okay?"

* * *

Once Isabelle, Kimblee, and Romano had left, Naminé didn't waste any time and headed for the dining hall. It wasn't the most expensive place or had the greatest food but it was still decent. Food was food after all. After she finished her meal, she returned to her room and lied down on her bed. Her two co-workers had yet to return and she wondered what was taking them so long.

There was a knock on her door and she quickly sat up. "Who is it?"

"Thad."

She got off the bed and opened up the door, seeing the man just outside the hallway. "Hi."

Romberg broke out into a smile. "Hey! How are you?"

"I'm fine," Naminé replied. She hadn't expected him to come to her room and it made her feel a little weird. She stepped aside to allow the man to come in. After Romberg came inside, she closed the door behind him.

"So do you want something?" The Lightning Alchemist asked. "Or you just wanted company?"

Romberg looked away, trying to not let his embarrassment show. "Both actually."

They took a seat at the end of her bed and sat in silence for a while. Then Naminé sighed loudly. She had expected more from Romberg but he seemed to be at a loss for words. Was it that difficult to say? _Please don't let it be something complicated._

"So Naminé," Romberg finally started. "Um, how many dates have we've been on?"

The woman raised an eyebrow, finding the question strange. "Two in the past three weeks," she told him.

"And you had fun, right?" He asked sheepishly. "I mean, they had to be better than that date you went on with Kimblee, right?"

The moment Romberg had said, Naminé's mind instantly thought back to that night. She could remember the Crimson Alchemist dressed in that white suit, looking so unlike himself. The way he had lent her his jacket when she had felt cold and the way he had told her that he wasn't a prince charming all the time before kissing her, all of it was so clear in her head. She hadn't expected those memories to still be so vivid. As far as she was concerned, it had only been a date that she hadn't even wanted to go on. But a part of her wouldn't mind trading all her time with Romberg just to relive that night. The rest of her? "Our dates were a lot better."

Romberg grinned at those words. That was something he had to hold over Kimblee very soon. "What I came here to say was that I really like you, Naminé and I was wondering if we could date more often."

"More often?"

"Well, not necessarily dates," he clarified, wondering if she didn't like the request. "Just more time together, the two of us. I actually want to take time to know you better. I mean, I came a long way from when we first meet."

Naminé suddenly laughed. "You no longer say perverted things," she said. "And you gave up on those ridiculous pick up lines not to mention the groping-!"

"Okay, okay," Romberg interrupted. "I get it. I was really bad back then."

"But you improved," Naminé said. "You're a decent guy, Thad. And unlike some people, you're not afraid of telling me how you feel. With you, I always know what to think." She didn't have to question his feelings about her. There was no wondering about whether he was being genuine or simply messing around. And his methods of winning her over were honest, not schemes of trying to make her jealous or upset.

Romberg stared at her for a moment. He hadn't expected her to say that. In fact he was so surprised that he never once tried considering who those 'some people' were. "You know what I think about you?"

She grinned. "I know but you can fill me in anyway."

Romberg smiled before gently kissing her on the lips. They had been on two dates but this was the first kiss he ever had with the woman and it was sweeter than he could have imagined. Reluctantly he pulled away. "Sorry if you didn't want that," he said. "I just thought asking would kill the mood."

"I didn't mind," she told him. "But... that was it?" She had been expecting something more. Like maybe he would become rougher or attempt slipping his tongue into her mouth. Or do a romantic gesture, like stroking her cheek, brushing her auburn hair away, or even putting a hat to the side of her face.

Romberg stared at her, slightly puzzled, before something finally occurred to him. "What—How... How did Kimblee kiss you?"

She blushed at the sudden question. "Why are you bringing Kimblee up?"

"Well he was the last guy you kissed, right? So I thought that, well, you know."

She stared at him. _He thought I was comparing him to Kimblee... _Immediately she felt guilty. While he had been somewhat right, she didn't want him to know the truth. So instead, she wrapped her arms around his neck. "You shouldn't think things like that," she told him. _At least he's not as cocky as Kimblee_, she thought. Kimblee wouldn't even consider the possibility that someone was better than him. He was so sure of himself. _But he was right about me thinking about breaking him and Mel up_, she thought before inwardly groaning. _Why am I thinking about him now? I with Thad! _Getting rid of all Kimblee-related thoughts, she closed her blue eyes and kissed him.

Happy to see that she was reciprocating his feelings, Romberg closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around her waist. He had wanted to go to the restaurant as a bodyguard tonight – an expensive meal had sounded nice – but he found this to be more enjoyable.

* * *

After knocking on Romberg's door for what seemed like a minute, Isabelle gave up. Romano had forgotten his room key and the only person who could open the door now was Romberg. However, he didn't seem to be in room at the moment and there was no telling where he could be now. She faced Kimblee and Romano who were looking at her. "He's not in there," she announced with a frown.

"Maybe he's with Naminé," Kimblee suggested.

Isabelle walked pass the two men and took out her room key. "Maybe you're right." Without even thinking about knocking, she put the key in the lock and opened up the door. "Nam..." She stood in the doorway, her green eyes wide open at the scene in front of her.

"What's wrong?" Kimblee asked. He walked over and saw what had caught Isabelle off guard.

Naminé was on top of Romberg with the man's hands resting on the sides of her waist, the two kissing passionately and from their view points, they could tell tongue was involved. Kimblee and Isabelle had seen Romberg with women before so that didn't bother them. But they had never seen Naminé act like this and that was what threw them off. And last time Kimblee had checked, the woman had not been so keen on tongue.

Isabelle heard Romano say something in Aerugoian and heard his footsteps. Isabelle didn't need Romano seeing two of his bodyguards making out. "Nothing Mr. Romano!" She said loudly, forgetting to switch languages.

Naminé heard Isabelle's voice. With a gasp, she quickly rolled off of Romberg and the man quickly sat up. He was surprised to see Kimblee and Isabelle staring at them. He then laughed nervously, trying to hide his embarrassment. "You guys are back early," he stated,

"Actually it's sort of late," Isabelle corrected. Her green eyes shifted toward Naminé who was blushing profusely. "Romberg, can you open your room? Mr. Romano forgot his room key so-!"

"I got it," Romberg said as he immediately got off the bed. He walked pass his two coworkers and apologized to Mr. Romano for keeping him waiting any longer.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Kimblee?" Isabelle said.

"Yeah. You too." Even though Kimblee was talking to Isabelle, his stare was focused on the blushing brunette. After a few seconds of trying to figure out what exactly he had stumbled upon, he went to his hotel room.

Isabelle closed the door and moved toward her bed. Now that the two women were alone, Naminé risked a glance at the blonde. Isabelle looked slightly perplexed and the alchemist waited for her to demand what she had been doing. But that never happened. The blonde instead smiled.

"Did you enjoy your little make-out session?"

The Lightning Alchemist buried her face in her pillow, feeling even more embarrassed than before. Her response came back muffled: "I rather not talk about it."

* * *

The next morning, the Romano and his four bodyguards headed for Central Headquarters. To avoid any conflicts on the streets, they were driven in a vehicle accompanied by a few other military cars. The walk to the Headquarters' doors had gone smoothly and once they were inside the building, everyone was more at ease. They reached the conference room where the Fuhrer and a few high-ranking officers were waiting. Kimblee, Isabelle, Romberg, and Naminé looked at each other. Two of them could go in; the two would have to wait outside. It was obvious that Isabelle was going again.

Romberg spoke up. "I'll go just to learn more about the situation."

"Suit yourself," Kimblee said. "It'd probably be boring meeting anyway."

Romberg looked at Naminé. "It's okay with you, right? Unless you want to go in or something."

"I'll be fine." She wasn't going to be selfish and ask for Romberg to stay outside. She could survive an hour or so with Kimblee.

Romberg smiled at her and then went inside the room with Isabelle and Romano.

Kimblee and Naminé positioned themselves on opposite sides of the doors and stood silently. This was fine with Naminé because she was worried about talking to him. Kimblee had seen her making out with Romberg when it was supposed to be a private moment and that made things awkward between them.

"Hey. Thomson."

She looked at him, assuming that the silence wasn't working for him. She just hoped that he wasn't going to bring up last night although something told her that he would.

"So you got over your fear of tongue last night, huh?" The Crimson Alchemist asked, smirking the whole entire time about it. "Or, better yet, you don't mind so much when _you're_ shoving your tongue down someone else's throat. Either way, it's a step up for you."

She narrowed her eyes. "Really now?" This was not something she wanted to discuss with him.

"Don't be so touchy about it," he told her. "Last time I checked, you were pushing people who tried doing that to you. I'm just curious about what changed, that's all."

"Nothing changed," she stated. "Romberg actually knows what he's doing." She hoped that comparing him to Romberg would hurt his pride.

"You can't say that," Kimblee said, his smirk not faltering once. "I was holding back that night."

Naminé rolled her eyes. "It's like your ego knows no end."

At this Kimblee laughed. "My ego's justified, babe."

She stared at him. Was he actually serious? "You know, unlike you Romberg is a humble person."

"And 'humble' is another word for 'insecure.' Look: you can't really expect me to believe you like Romberg more than me, do you?"

Naminé stared at him. Then she returned to her original position against the wall. She wasn't going to even try answering that question.

The mission had been pretty successful so far. Diamante Romano had made it through the last twenty-four hours safely and the only thing that left was the train ride back to South

* * *

Headquarters. While excitement was good, the bodyguards hoped that the train ride would be uneventful. Romano was sitting in his private compartment and while she couldn't speak a word of Aerugoian, Naminé had insisted on keeping the man company. The other three sat outside.

"You couldn't resist causing trouble," Isabelle told Kimblee. She didn't know all the details about the argument. But when she had emerged from the room, Naminé was clearly frustrating about something.

Kimblee put his hands behind his head and closed his golden eyes. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"It doesn't matter if we know," Romberg interrupted. After the meeting had been over, he had asked Naminé what was wrong. But she didn't tell anything but Kimblee was being an idiot. It seemed that every time the two were alone something went wrong. "Kimblee, if you do one more thing to upset Naminé-!"

"Thomson is not worth fighting over," the alchemist interrupted.

"What?"

Romberg went on to say something but Kimblee didn't pay him any mind. He wasn't going to argue about this. If he did, he would most likely contradict his earlier behavior. Truth was the man knew exactly how he felt about the Lightning Alchemist. He wasn't sentimental about human life and he didn't care about turning a human being into a bomb. But when it came down to her, he didn't believe he could blow her up. She held some value in his life.

**A/N: Thanks to Mitsukai for reviewing the last chapter. You're awesome. Till next time.**


	15. Chapter 15: Making It Official

**A/N: I wanted to post this up a lot earlier but since I got back to college, I've helped with Freshman Pre-Orientation and Freshman Orientation the last two weeks. Now it's Rush Week and school begins this Wednesday. So yeah, it's been a little crazy. But I finally finished this chapter. Enjoy.**

**CHAPTER 15—Making It Official:**

The past month had been full of paperwork, arguing, and, for some, lots of dating and quality time. Romberg had made sure not a minute had been wasted. He had taken Naminé to numerous places but the whole time, they were never exclusively dating. He had never asked her before because he didn't want her to think he was rushing things. But now they had been dating for almost two months and he hoped to put her off the market for good.

He walked into the office and saw that his three coworkers were engaged in conversation. "Morning," Romberg said, announcing his presence. The three people looked up and greeted him.

"I thought you weren't coming," Isabelle said as she glanced at the clock. In a teasing tone, she added, "Naminé was about to be very sad without you."

Naminé sighed. "She's exaggerating, Thad," the alchemist stated. She wanted to say that she would have no such feelings but knowing Romberg, he probably would have taken that the wrong way. "I would have missed you a little though," she conceded.

Before Romberg could respond, Kimblee snorted. The brunette glared at him. Despite the fact that her eyes demanded him to drop dead, Kimblee remained completely unaffected. "I don't know why you're lying," he told her. "You would have been fine without him."

Romberg stared, wanting the Crimson Alchemist to elaborate.

"Really?" Naminé challenged.

"You have me, remember?"

Romberg didn't want to believe it. Kimblee wouldn't hit on the girl he was dating right in front of him. That would be stupid and pointless since Naminé had no interest in the mad bomber. Yet that was exactly what Kimble had done so callously and it didn't help the situation when Naminé turned away to laugh.

"I never thought you could say something so stupid," she said as an effort to explain her laughter.

"Well it's true," Kimblee told her.

Isabelle sighed. "I like this a lot better. When everything is in good fun. It's a pity you two can't be like this all the time."

The Lightning Alchemist looked at the blonde. "If we were..." The woman rolled her eyes with a faint smile. "Well, you know."

"Know what?' Romberg asked, finally jumping into the conversation.

Naminé's head snapped in his direction. The tone he had used caused her to feel a tad uncomfortable. Very slowly she replied, "It would be strange, Thad."

"Oh." Romberg felt slightly idiotic. He had definitely jumped the gun on that one. He knew that. Yet he would also say it hadn't been _entirely_ his fault. If Naminé had finished her sentence, he wouldn't have thought what he had.

"What has you in bad mood?" Kimblee asked, his eyebrow cocked in Romberg's direction.

"Nothing," Romberg lied. He turned his attention to Naminé. "Can we talk in private for a few minutes?"

Naminé frowned but soon stood by his side. "Let's go."

The two went into the hallway and Romberg closed the door behind them. There was no need for Isabelle and Kimblee to hear their conversation. _That wouldn't stop them from trying_, he thought. He ended up leading Naminé a few feet away from the door.

"So what is it?" Naminé asked.

Romberg took in a deep breath. "I was wondering if you want to become exclusive... Boyfriend and girlfriend."

The woman blinked, clearly surprised by his words. "Now?"

Romberg grinned. "Of course now," he replied. "We've been dating for over a month. So what do you say?"

Naminé opened her mouth but nothing came out. What was she supposed to say in this situation? Her blue eyes were casted down at the ground as she bit her bottom lip. She knew he was waiting for her answer but she didn't know what to say yet. "Can't we... Can I get back to you later?"

"Naminé," he said, trying to keep his easy-going attitude going. "It's not that hard to answer." To him, the answer should be obvious.

"It is, Thad," she said. "I need to think about this."

"Okay... So for how long? Like for an hour?" Romberg supposed he could wait for an hour or something similar to that.

"How about until the end of the day?"

* * *

While Romberg's reaction had been expected, she couldn't help but wish for a different one. The look he had given her had made her feel bad about her postponement. However, she couldn't give a random answer on the spot to only regret it later. She wanted to be sure of her decision. But the answer should have been clear by now, right? Whether she really wanted him or not?

After dropping yesterday's paperwork off at Gran's office, she quickly returned to join the others. When she opened the door, she was surprised to see that only Kimblee sat inside. She closed the door and slowly walked further into the room until she had the fellow alchemist's attention. She hopped on the desk that he was sitting at and met his golden gaze.

"Where are Romberg and Isabelle?" She asked.

"They had to take care of something with one of the generals," he replied. "Or something like that."

"I see." Naminé's eyes were still on Kimblee. He was acting normal so Romberg couldn't have mentioned what had taken place two hours back. Isabelle probably didn't know either.

Kimblee noticed that her gaze was still on him. "What is it?"

Naminé's face heated up and she looked away. "Thad asked me to be his girlfriend today," she said. There was an awkward silence and she suddenly wondered why she had blurted that out. It was completely unnecessary to tell him; she knew that. But a part of her wanted him to know. She needed to see his reaction to the news.

The Crimson Alchemist stared at her, trying to remain as nonchalant as possible. However, it was beginning to prove difficult. That was what Romberg had pulled her out into the hallway? "...What did you say?"

Naminé had expected something different from the man but she welcomed his curiosity nonetheless. "I told him to give me time to think about it."

Kimblee snorted and looked away. Strange enough, hearing that made him feel better about the situation. Now he could go back to his usual ways. "So what made you think that I would care?"

Naminé stared at him, feeling confused about the situation now. While the answer had been very Kimblee-like, it wasn't the one she had been hoping for. Already she could feel her stomach twisting in knots. She tore her blue eyes away and focused on the window. "I don't know," she said, trying to not sound offended. "I was hoping for an opinion."

"You're asking the wrong person, Thomson," Kimblee stated. "I don't care about you or your silly problems. And I don't give a damn if you go out with the guy. So there's no point in telling me about this."

Naminé narrowed her blue eyes. "Then why did you ask about what I said to him?"

There was no way in hell Kimblee would allow this conversation to turn on him. "What reason are you hoping for? That I want you?"

For some reason, that struck a nerve inside the woman. "No," she said.

"Good," he told her. "Because I wouldn't want someone like you except for one thing and even that might be a pain." He had been here before. He had told her once before that he had wanted her and she had been quick to tell him how she wasn't interested. This time the Crimson Alchemist was not going to make the same mistake again. There was no point in conceding if she wasn't willing to do the same and seeing how she had been dating Romberg for almost two months, he was certain she wasn't going to anytime soon.

He waited for her to explode or perhaps use her lightning alchemy out of rage but neither of those things happened. He glanced at the brunette and saw her expression. Just for a second, he wondered if he had hurt her. Still, that notion was not going to make him ask.

"Sorry for asking your opinion on this," she said, getting off the desk. There was still half an hour before her lunch break but she needed to get away now. She didn't need to feel yet another knife twisted around in her heart. "I'll see you later then," she announced as she opened the door. She stopped in her tracks. Standing in front of her, in mid-knock, was Sonia.

Naminé couldn't remember the last time she had seen Sonia in this part of South HQ. Sonia worked on the far side of the building. But seeing her there meant only one thing; the woman had came looking for Kimblee. The Lightning Alchemist looked back at Kimblee for an explanation. He didn't even give her a hint as to what was going on.

"I'm sorry I'm a little early," Sonia said, pushing her way passed Naminé. "But when I saw Isabelle and Romberg on my side of HQ, I was hoping I would be able to catch you alone." She sat down on Kimblee's lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything between you and Romberg's... play thing?" Her big brown eyes landed on Naminé who was still standing helplessly by the door.

"You weren't," Kimblee said. "You were just about to leave, right, Thomson?"

"Yeah," the woman said. She was about to walk out but stopped. She couldn't leave like this. She _needed _to get the last word. If Vi had been next to her, she would have patted the girl on the back for what she was about to do. Turning back around, she stared the Crimson Alchemist dead in the eye and said, "I hope this isn't another Mel incident." The looks on Kimblee's and Sonia's faces made her feel a little bit better but she didn't leave yet. It wasn't until she heard Sonia ask who was Mel that she closed the door and went on her way.

* * *

"So let me get this straight," Vi said, already using a tone that indicated her disbelief and disapproval. "He asked you to be his girlfriend and you left him without an answer?"

Naminé shrunk into her seat a little bit. "I'm going to give him one later." It was finally lunch time and now she could turn to the only people she could depend on – Mel and Vi. She had finished telling the two about the past morning's events – saved for the Kimblee bit – all over Caesar salad. Vi had not hesitated on making her opinion known the moment the story was finished. Mel had yet to say a word but without the doubt, the woman was deducing something.

"But Romberg treats you right," Vi said. "Remember what he did for your birthday two weeks ago?"

"Yes," Naminé said, remembering the all-day spa treatment.

"And all other things he's done before and after that? Like the roses and the dinners?"

"Yes." How could she? Romberg had put a lot of effort the past month trying to impress her. His effort couldn't have gone unnoticed even if she tried to not pay it any mind.

"So what's the problem?" Vi asked.

"I don't know," Naminé replied, shaking her head.

Mel drank some water. "Are you waiting for something?" Her two friends looked at her and the redhead shrugged. "I figured that if you're insisting on giving your answer later, there must be something else in the picture, right?"

"I doubt it," Naminé said.

Vi pushed her dark sunglasses further up her nose. "At least you're done with Kimblee," she said. "Unlike Romberg who has your best interests at heart, Kimblee only has sex on his mind."

At this, the Lightning Alchemist gave a hollow laugh. "Actually, he said that, 'sleeping' with me would be a pain for him."

"He must be lying," Mel said. "I bet if you throw yourself at him, he wouldn't be able to control himself."

Vi rolled her eyes at Mel's outrageous suggestion. It was as if the redhead couldn't give legit advice about this. Everything was about what _she_ would do in the situation without a thought about Naminé's personality. _Figures_, she thought. "Naminé's wouldn't do something so stupid when Romberg is the better pick," she pointed out, looking at the alchemist. "With Romberg, there's a good chance of stability and happiness."

"You're just saying that because you don't like Kimblee," Mel muttered.

Vi turned toward Naminé. "When was the last time Kimblee did anything nice for you?"

"This week," she replied immediately. "When I needed help finishing my share of the paperwork."

"See?" Mel said.

"He probably did that to save his own ass," Vi said. _Time for a different angle. _"When was the last time he did something bad to you?"

Naminé opened her mouth but then her mind went back to this morning. "An hour ago," she admitted. She was not going into detail about that conversation and she still had yet figure something out about Sonia's appearance.

Vi gave Mel an I-told-you-so look before focusing on the brunette. "Naminé, I don't know where you stand with that psycho but I will tell you that if you want happiness, Romberg would be the better choice. Having a relationship with Kimblee would probably only end in disaster. And no, I'm not telling you this because I can't stand the guy—" Vi shot a glare in Mel's direction "– I'm telling you this because I'm your friend and I want the best for you."

"So do I," Mel said. She was not happy that Vi was making her look unconcerned with Naminé's well-being. "And personally I don't know why you're bringing up Kimblee in the first place, Vi. This is about Romberg and Naminé."

"Because I'm not stupid," Vi stated. "I know when I see lingering feelings and I'm pretty sure that's what's clouding Naminé's judgment."

"Whatever," Mel said. Her green eyes landed on Naminé. "Whatever you choose, choose it because you feel that it's right. Don't think of me or Vi or Kimblee. This is only between you and Romberg. If you think you'll be happy with him, go for it. Even if he's sort of..." She let her sentence unfinished, realizing that she wouldn't be objective anymore.

"And I'm sure she'll make the right decision," Vi said matter-of-factly. "Won't you, Naminé?"

* * *

After lunch, Naminé quickly returned to the office. She was glad to see that Sonia was gone and Romberg and Isabelle were back in their normal places. Kimblee was there as well, talking about something. Normally she would be interested but after this morning, she was done with him. She closed the door with a dull thud and all eyes landed on her. "Hello," she said as she walked toward the group.

"Where were you?" Romberg asked, momentarily forgetting his conversation. He was frowning. "I was hoping that we could eat lunch together but Kimblee said you left."

"I'm sorry," Naminé said, her gaze lingering on the Crimson Alchemist for a few seconds. "I had to meet some friends." Truth was, she had only wanted to get away from Kimblee and she couldn't wait until lunch. However, mentioning that to Romberg would only cause the man to turn on Kimblee and right now, the woman wanted the peace to last. "So what's going on?"

Isabelle grinned. "You see, Sonia-!"

"It's none of her business," Kimblee interrupted.

"She's going to find out eventually," Isabelle said.

"Let her," Kimblee said.

Naminé tried to come off like she didn't care. But deep inside, she wanted to know what Isabelle knew. Was it something horrible? Or something embarrassing? Whatever it is, Kimblee didn't want to talk about it and she wasn't going to ask. He didn't care about her problems and she wasn't about to care about his.

Moving on, Naminé looked at Romberg. "About your question this morning, I-!"

"You want to talk about this outside?" Romberg asked. His question wasn't for the sake of being considerate. He feared the possibility of embarrassment. In case she was going to break it off, he didn't want to get rejected in front of Isabelle and Kimblee.

"Here is fine," Naminé said. She looked away, biting her lip. Was she really going to go through with this? "My answer is yes." Along with that statement, she felt an unwelcome sinking feeling like she had made some life-altering decision.

Romberg stared in disbelief. "Really?" The man had already set himself up for rejection so hearing those words had surprised him a lot. Recovering from shock, he quickly wrapped his arms around the brunette, resisting the urge to kiss her passionately in front of their coworkers. "This is great!"

"Wait, wait, wait," Isabelle interrupted. "'Yes' to what?" She looked at Kimblee to see if he knew what was going on but the Crimson Alchemist didn't comment. He just stared at the Romberg and Naminé with a hard expression on his face.

Romberg stopped hugging Naminé and left an arm casually around the woman's shoulders before looking back at his coworkers. He assumed both of them were out of the loop. "We're official now," he announced with a grin.

**A/N: And that's it! I can't say it's my favorite chapter but I'm certain the next one will be better. Right now, I'm estimating four more chapters till I touch on Ishbal. I'm excited about that because after the Ishbal segment I can hit the FMA timeline. Anyway, thanks to Aisha for reviewing and to those who added this story to their alerts/favorites list. Till next time.**


	16. Chapter 16: In the Long Run

**A/N: Here's the next chapter! Surprisingly I got it out in a week and not in months. Enjoy.**

**CHAPTER 16—In the Long Run:**

It had only been two days since she had told Romberg 'yes' and it seemed that the whole South HQ knew about their status as a couple. Even Colonel Gran seemed to have some inkling. Naminé supposed that it was due to Romberg's efforts to make sure most of the men in blue knew that she was off limits. He always had an arm around her or kissed her on the cheek just as someone passed by. She understood where he was coming from but she was still adjusting to the idea of public displays of affection. At least for the moment she was away from all that.

Walking down the hallway, Naminé's mind wandered back to Kimblee. Gran had sent her to ask him something and according to Isabelle, he should be in the weight room. If it wasn't for her superior, she wouldn't have an effort to talk to him. Lately the Crimson Alchemist had been so set on not talking to her. She could only imagine why that was the case. Well, to be honest, she had a pretty good idea. He had only started to act that way after she had officially become Romberg's girlfriend. She didn't understand why that would be a reason when there were plenty of other things to get mad about.

"Naminé!"

At the sound of her name, the brunette turned around. There was Sonia, walking at a brisk pace toward her. Naminé raised her eyebrows at the sight. She couldn't recall a time when Sonia had called her by her first name. Better yet, she couldn't think of a time the woman seemed so eager to talk to her. Naminé waited for the woman to reach her, curious to know what this was about.

"Do you know where Kimblee is?" Sonia finally asked.

_Of course_, Naminé thought. She should have known that this was about him. "Why are you looking for him?"

She did a little hair flip by moving her head side to side. "I want to tell him he was wrong the other day," she stated.

"Wrong?"

Suddenly Sonia giggled, putting her hand over her mouth as if to be polite. "No one told you, huh?" She said. "About the other day?"

Naminé knew what 'other day' Sonia was talking about. The day Kimblee had kicked her out so he could talk to Sonia. Strangely enough, Kimblee didn't want anyone telling her what had happened. The Lightning Alchemist had acted as if she didn't care but in reality, she had wanted to know and now the opportunity presented itself. "Are you going to tell me?"

"Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't dare," Sonia replied. "But I owe you one."

She narrowed her eyes. "Is that so?"

Sonia nodded her head. "It is."

"Is this about the Mel thing?"

"He rejected me," Sonia stated, not even bothering with her question. "Without any hesitation. Do you know why?"

"Because he realized that he's above you," Naminé half-guessed, half-insulted her.

"Clever," Sonia muttered, glaring just a bit. "But no. He thought some unattractive tramp was better. He rejected me because _he_ thought she was better. Than. Me. He wouldn't say all that but I knew what he was thinking."

"So it wasn't the Mel thing?"

"Haven't you been following?"

The Mel thing had only been the catalyst for the conversation that day. Kimblee had explained who Mel was and Sonia had been fine with that. After all, Mel had become another meaningless fling from his past. The trouble had started when she had insulted Naminé, the friend of this Mel girl. The agreeable atmosphere had dissipated instantly. She had always thought Kimblee's interest in the Lightning Alchemist had been weird – he seemed more concerned about her than he should have been, maybe since month two of the woman's arrival – but she hadn't thought much of it then. But once she had insulted her, Kimblee had been surprisingly quick to defend. They went back and forth a few more times and then, just like that, he had kicked her out.

"The 'unattractive tramp' is you," Sonia stated, hoping that the brunette would finally get it. "He wanted you over me. And now, thanks to you, he can't have you anymore. The one thing he wanted most he can't have it. I only wanted to remind him of that."

That was why Sonia owed her? Because she had become Romberg's girlfriend? "It's a shame I don't know where he is," Naminé lied. Kimblee wanted her? That completely contradicted what he had said the other day. _Sonia has no idea what she's talking about_, Naminé thought. If Romberg and Isabelle had been discussing the details with Kimblee a few days back, Romberg wouldn't have taken the conversation in stride. He would have flipped about the fact that Kimblee wanted her. So that _had_ to be a lie.

"Too bad," Sonia said, glancing Naminé over. _I wouldn't be surprised if she's lying._ "Well, thanks for making my day anyway." With that, she headed back the way she came from.

Naminé waited for Sonia to disappear around the corner before continuing toward the weight room. _Sonia had to be lying_, she told herself. _She had to... Although... _She sighed. She wished that Colonel Gran had sent someone else in her place.

* * *

Had he given that woman too much credit?

Yes, Naminé was a smart, beautiful, young woman but if Kimblee had known she would have made such a stupid decision, he would have stopped her. He had the chance when she had asked him for his opinion. He could have said something, anything. Of course, he had to be an inconsiderate jerk about it. He had said some many tactless things for example: sex with her would be a pain. Really? If she ever threw herself at him, how excited would he be. He didn't take that as a sign of weakness. What he took as a sign of weakness was how _passionate_ he felt about her, if that was even the right word. From her auburn hair to her blue eyes to her-!

Kimblee paused during a push-up, his arms straight. There he went again, thinking about her. He had came to the weight room to get his mind off of Thomson and her new-dare he accept it-boyfriend. However, she had a bad habit of popping into his mind unwanted. If Naminé knew the affect she had on him, she would probably get a kick out of it. It would be another thing to taunt him with if she ever found publicly clinging onto Romberg wasn't enough to rile him up.

He started to do push-ups again, resuming his count from seventy. He wouldn't let her become his distraction. Not anymore.

The weight room door opened and he looked up. Out of everyone it could have been, it had to be Naminé. She was looking at him, her face clearly asking what she had done wrong. Kimblee wanted to go back to his workout but he couldn't, not with her looking at him. _This is fucking great_, he thought as he got off the floor and stood up straight. "What is it, Thomson?"

She got down to business. "The colonel wanted to know if you took care of what you were supposed to," she replied making a slight face. The woman had no idea what that was supposed to mean and she hoped that the statement made sense to Kimblee.

Kimblee frowned at first before it dawned on him. "Tell him I did."

"Okay," she said.

Kimblee waited for Naminé to leave but she hadn't stirred from her spot. After a moment, he asked, "Is there something else Gran sent you for?"

"No."

"Then why are you still here?" Kimblee moved to where the dumbbells were stationed and picked up two 20-pounders. He started to do bicep curls, trying his hardest to feign unconcern. Still he wondered what was taking the brunette so long to answer a rather simple question. Finally she spoke.

"I don't... I don't get why you can insult me and people will still say that you like me."

"And who said that?" For once, he wished she had given him a snide remark.

"Today Sonia did."

Kimblee stopped working out a second time. "And you actually believe her?"

"I wouldn't but I thought about it. She's not the only one who's said that." This situation was getting awkward. She doubted that they could have a decent heart to heart, especially when he didn't want to bother with her. The only time he seemed to pay her any real attention was when they argue and that was probably because he didn't want to lose.

"If this is what you want to talk about, you're wasting my time," he told her. "I told you before, Thomson, I don't care about you or your problems."

Shaking her head, Naminé walked in front of him and attempted to stare him down. However, due to the fact that she was the shorter person, it didn't work out so well. Perhaps that was why Kimblee didn't take her seriously when she said, "The dumbbells. Drop them."

He simply looked at her before going back to doing bicep curls. He wasn't scared of her. In fact, she should be scared of him. But it was like she didn't give a damn anymore that he could blow her up. She had when she had first come to South HQ. Back then, everything was coherent and made sense. She wasn't dating Romberg back then either. She hadn't been popping up in his thoughts eit-

Naminé sucker punched him in the stomach, almost causing him to double over. She repeated herself. "Drop them."

Kimblee dropped the dumbbells, clearly agitated now. She had his attention now, that much was certain. He moved in a step closer and thanks to his height he successfully managed to stare her down. Her feet shifted as if he she wanted to step back and he quickly grabbed her wrist to keep her in place. "What. Is. It?" He was coming off far more intimidating than he would have liked but he couldn't help himself at the moment. Here he had been, trying to get his mind off of the one thing that had been bugging him and suddenly it reappears in his face demanding his very attention.

Naminé was surprised to hear the sound of her voice. "There's a part of me that wished you told me the truth... about how you feel about me." She could feel her heart beating rapidly in her chest and it bugged her. She wasn't supposed to feel this nervous or anxious even. Then again it could easily be fear.

"We've been over this before," he muttered.

"No one's here so there's nothing to hide," Naminé replied, trying to put some assertion behind those words but it was a feeble attempt. When they argued everything was so simple. There was none of this awkward tension and she didn't feel that she was embarrassing herself. She was acting like she was vulnerable and the last time she had been vulnerable was the night Nikolai Daniels had attacked. Why did it always have to happen around Kimblee?

Kimblee sighed. "Babe, you should know by now I'm not into this sentimental nonsense," he told her, trying to ease the tension. He must have been successful because she was smiling a little.

Naminé averted her gaze. "You act like such a jerk and I get angry at you but my feelings never seem to change."

"Your feelings?"

"Yeah," she said, feeling her face heat up. "I... like you, Kimblee, possibly more than Thad and if you had told me the truth, then I would have needed a lot more time before I could give Thad an answer." She felt his grip weakened around her wrist and she looked up at him. Instantly their eyes locked with one another.

"...But you still would have chosen Romberg." Naminé didn't speak and Kimblee snorted. He had suspected as much. Finally he released her wrist. "I'm risky. Romberg's safe."

"Kimblee, that-!"

He smirked. "Don't waste your breath, babe." She didn't have to explain; he knew what she was thinking. With him, she wouldn't know what to expect but a bunch of ups and downs. With Romberg, she could at least see some consistency. Maybe there was some truth to that. Romberg was more willing to cater to her demands than he ever would. That, however, didn't mean much to him. Before she could think of leaving, he wrapped his arms around her. Just this once, he would let himself give in to his feelings.

Naminé was dumbstruck. She couldn't remember a time where she had hugged Kimblee or vice versa. She wasn't even sure she should hug him back. She waited for him to try something to give her a reason to push him away, but he seemed to be content with the embrace. She would have been fine if her heart wasn't trying to leap out of her chest at the moment. This was the time to push him away but she couldn't bring herself to. Despite how badly she wanted to give some reaction, she just stood there with her arms limp at her sides. She wanted to bury her face in his shirt, probably end up smelling a mixture of his cologne and sweat but she didn't want to give him any ideas.

"But I don't mind, Naminé," he told her. "You'll get tired of playing it safe. You'll _want_ something a little more risky. And the worst part is," he added with a smile, "I doubt I'll turn you away."

"...Let go Kimblee." She had to draw a line at some point regardless of how thin and shaky it would be. She couldn't let this go on any longer.

Kimblee was happy to oblige. He unraveled his arms from around her body and she took a step back, putting some distance between the two. He studied the woman before him to see what she would say. But her eyes were cast to the ground. "I'm surprised, Thomson," he told her, trying to go back to platonic terms. "You're so good at denying things that I thought you would have denied what I just said."

Naminé narrowed her blue eyes. As much as she wanted to say something, she held her tongue. The whole she had dug was quite big already. "I should get going," she said instead. "Gran is probably wondering what's taking me so long."

The door to the weight room opened and the two turned away from each other. Isabelle slipped into the room. "Hello you two," she said. "How are you doing?"

"Great I guess," Kimblee said.

"Fine." Naminé couldn't place it but something seemed off about Isabelle.

"Gran sent me to see what was taking his messenger so long," Isabelle said. She glanced at Naminé with a questioning look in her green eyes.

The Lightning Alchemist looked back at Kimblee. "I told you."

"Yeah, whatever, Thomson." Kimblee picked up the dumbbells he had abandoned earlier. "I'll see you two later."

"Sure," Isabelle said as she walked out the door. "Come on, Naminé."

"Bye," Naminé said. She went out into the hallway and closed the door behind her. Once she was out of Kimblee's presence, she felt that she could breathe again. _What was I thinking? _Even though it had been necessary, she regretted bringing that topic up. Now she would feel uncomfortable the rest of the day while he would feel smug about it. Naminé sighed and looked at her coworker. They began to walk. "So how long ago did Gran send you?" She asked.

"Not that long ago," the blonde responded. "Five, ten minutes at most."

"That's sort of long," Naminé commented. _The colonel will be so mad at me. _Isabelle suddenly stopped walking. Frowning, Naminé stopped as well and turned around. "Are you okay?"

Isabelle didn't waste any time. "You're Romberg's girlfriend but just now you were declaring your affections for Kimblee."

Naminé flinched at her words. Suddenly her meeting with Gran didn't seem all that important. "It's not what you think."

"Yeah and you telling is Kimblee that you like him more than Romberg shouldn't be taken literally." Isabelle folded her arms and tilted her head to the side. Her scrutinizing green eyes examined the woman in front of her, searching for the tiniest hint that she was bothered by this interrogation. "If you were trying to please Romberg, telling him you wanted to be his girlfriend wasn't the way to go about it."

"That's not why I said yes. And that wasn't a conversation for you to hear."

"It was supposed to be yours and Kimblee's dirty secret, right?"

"Dirty secret?"

Isabelle shrugged. "You know there was this huge pause. I wonder what you two were doing for so long."

Naminé clenched her fists. "You don't know what you're talking about, Isabelle. As much as I like Kimblee, I would never cheat on Thad. Thad, he's the better choice for me. He always has been."

Isabelle didn't say anything for a while. The conversation was a lot more stressful than she had anticipated. This wasn't something she wanted to continue. Plus she didn't want anyone else to hear about this. She sighed and looked the other way. "I would hate to see Romberg and Kimblee get hurt because you couldn't make up your mind."

" _And_ Kimblee?"

"He said he wouldn't turn you away if you ever wanted a go with him," Isabelle said, ignoring Naminé's expression of disbelief at her choice of words. "Kimblee isn't the sort of man to wait around for women so I'm assuming there's something more to this than he'd admit."

The Lightning Alchemist agreed with Isabelle on that point. He didn't seem like the sort of person that would wait for a girl to come around. "Are you going to tell Thad?" There wasn't anything to hide but at the same time, she didn't want to start something either.

"I won't. I'll take your word that you won't hurt him. But if I catch you and Kimblee doing anything you're not supposed to be-!"

Naminé closed her eyes and sighed. "You don't have to worry about that."

"That's good to hear." Isabelle glanced at her watch and then walked past the brunette at top speed. "Now we better get moving. Gran must be pissed off by now!"

"Oh. Right." Naminé turned to follow Isabelle. _Saying yes to Romberg may bug me a little now but I know in the long run it will be worth it. I just know it. _

**A/N: The next chapter is called "The Elapsed Year." I'm actually looking forward to writing that one because it sets the stage for the next chapter in line, "Like a Star." And then bam—we're in Ishbal! I've been wondering if I should rewrite the four chapters in my first FMA story and insert them into the Ishbal arc in this story. Of course there will be new Ishbal scenes that weren't known or were just mentioned in passing (like Romberg's death). I could always just do the new scenes but to me there'll be this disconnect. I don't know. Let me know what you think. Anyway thanks to thegriffin88 and TJ for their reviews. :) Till later (hopefully next week)!**


	17. Chapter 17: The Elapsed Year

**A/N: This was supposed to be posted last week but I had to deal with tons of college assignments and studying for exams. I really miss the good old high schools days of chilling. Anyway, I apologize for the late update. This chapter is shorter than most of my previous ones so I hope it doesn't seem too abrupt because it spans over a year. **

**CHAPTER 17—The Elapsed Year:**

It had been over a week and Isabelle had yet to adjust to her new work environment. She didn't think she would miss the old office this badly. This office had shelves and shelves full of alchemy and science books. The multiple lamps in the room didn't give the room a brighter feel and the only thing that tried to lift up the room was the potted plant sitting in the corner. It didn't help that the room was empty most of the time; most of her 'coworkers' lived in the lab. This place was so dreary.

However, she supposed it was natural for her to complain. When you were used to the same routine and the same people for almost a year, it was all sort of hard to let go. Like her usual blue uniform. She had given up the blue jacket and blue skirt for a simple blouse and a plain skirt covered by an ugly white lab coat. Her blonde hair, which she would have loose, was done in an up-do she had been doing the past week. In her hands were the clipboard that might as well be attached to her at this point; she never seemed to be without it.

Being a research assistant had been a lot harder than she had thought and a part of her wanted to go back to her original work. However, she wouldn't quit. She wanted to know more about the alchemy world because of him.

Eight months ago, Naminé and Romberg had become an item. Kimblee had been fine at first. Most likely he had assumed that they wouldn't last long. But when five months had passed and there had been no signs of a breakup coming, the Crimson Alchemist had become desolate.

Isabelle had pitied him. She didn't know why but she did and to make him feel better, she had taken him out for drinks. It started out fine when they had been below the tolerance level. But then they had gotten drunker than she had anticipated. With impaired judgment, she had taken him back to her place where they had slept together. She thought that she would have regretted it but afterward she realized how much she liked him. Unfortunately, Kimblee didn't have a similar revelation. He hadn't looked all that happy when he had gotten up. Isabelle sighed. Knowing the situation, his mind probably hadn't been on her at all.

_If I hadn't left, I could be making him fall in love with me_, she thought. She walked over to the office phone and picked it up, dialing a very familiar number. It rung a few times before a female picked up.

"Hello?"

The blonde grinned, more out of nostalgia than out of happiness. "Hi Naminé," Isabelle replied.

"Isabelle? Hold on!" There was a click and then: "Can you hear me now? I just put you on speaker."

Isabelle sat down on the desk and started to twirl the phone cord between her fingers. "I can hear you. Are Romberg and Kimblee there?"

Thad's voice came through. "Yeah we are."

His voice was followed by a mocking one. "Doing Naminé's part of the paperwork as usual."

"Don't listen to him," Naminé said. "Kimblee's being a jerk as usual."

"I bet he is," Isabelle laughed.

Naminé had kept her word that she wouldn't cheat on Romberg and up until Isabelle left, Naminé hadn't done anything obviously bad with Kimblee. The blonde doubted that the Lightning Alchemist would do anything now. The woman seemed to be very much in love with him. That was a good thing. No one would be hurt and Isabelle had a chance with Kimblee. As long as he forgot about the brunette.

"So what's Tim Marcoh like?" Romberg asked. "Is he overworking you?"

"Not really," Isabelle replied. "I've only seen him a few times actually. I mostly follow his band of scientists around, writing down any data or information necessary."

"Have you seen this big secret project he's supposedly working on?" Kimblee asked.

"I don't have permission to see it," she replied, wishing she had a different answer to give. "The only thing I've got to see that's even remotely close is Chimeras."

"Chimeras?" Romberg questioned.

"A living creature made by combining at least two different creatures via alchemy," Isabelle replied.

"You know your stuff," Kimblee said, most likely with a smirk. "I'm almost impressed."

Isabelle smiled. "Thanks." _I'm learning because of you._

"I'm surprised you don't know what a chimera is, Romberg," Kimblee commented.

"My area of expertise is government and politics and anything along those lines," Romberg said. "I'll save the alchemy stuff for you and Naminé." There was some giggling from the other end and Isabelle was certain they came from Naminé. Romberg was probably showing some sign of affection because Kimblee said:

"Really? In here?"

"Sorry," Romberg said. "I'll keep it down for you."

"How about you move the whole act all together?"

"I better go," Isabelle said. "I have work to do." The group told her bye and she hung up. Sighing, she left the office and walked down the hallway. There was a secret experiment going on and even though she worked under Tim Marcoh, she didn't have access to the room. She turned into the hallway and stopped in her tracks. She was surprised to see a line of prisoners, all in handcuffs, being herded through double doors by scientists. She frowned and approached one of the scientists standing nearby by. "Why are all these prisoners here?"

The man looked at her. "You're Dr. Marcoh's new assistant, right?"

Isabelle nodded her head.

"Well, I can't tell you now," he told her. "But you'll probably figure it out in time."

Isabelle frowned. "I will, huh?"

"Yeah, eventually."

_

* * *

_

2 months later...

Romberg sat alone in the empty office as he glared at the manila envelope in his hand. The official military seal was already battered from when he had torn the letter open. He had heard about this around Headquarters but he had never thought he would get one. Ishbal was a hellhole and he didn't want to go while the war was at its bloodiest. Amestris didn't have a handle on the situation in the slightest. How many men did the military lose and how did those numbers compared to Ishbalan deaths? Last time he checked, neither of those figures had looked good. He ran a hand through his hair, leaning further back into his chair. How was he supposed to tell Naminé?

The office door opened and Kimblee strolled. His thoughts must have been written all over his face because Kimblee asked, with a smirk nonetheless, "What's wrong? Did Naminé finally break your heart?"

Romberg shook his head and held out the letter for his coworker to see.

Kimblee's golden eyes lit with recognition. "That's-!"

"Yeah," he said gloomily. "They're sending me to Ishbal."

Normal people would think that was unfortunate but Kimblee was slightly jealous. The war was getting to the seven-year-point and the Fuhrer had yet to call in the State Alchemists. In a war, Kimblee could get away with the things he couldn't in a regular mission. There were no rules on the battlefield. It was simply kill or be killed and the alchemist was certain he would do all the killing. However, he wouldn't bring this up with Romberg. The guy probably he wouldn't his point of view. So instead he asked, "Did you tell Naminé yet?"

Romberg shook his head. "I just got the letter this morning." The man huffed slightly, thinking about his girlfriend for a moment. "Can you do me a favor?"

"Depends on what it is."

"I don't know for how long I'll be gone but during that time, take care of Naminé for me."

"That's an interesting request," Kimblee said, raising an eyebrow. He hadn't expected Romberg to entrust his girlfriend to him. "Are you not expecting on coming back?" He asked with a smirk.

"I'm not going to die," Romberg said sternly. "I have a reason not to."

"And what reason is that?"

"Well, after I come back, I'm going to propose to Naminé," Romberg told him. "But don't tell her that, okay? I want to surprise her when the time comes." He had been thinking about this for the past few weeks. Now he knew that he wanted to take that step forward. Hopefully, when he got down on one knee, she would say yes.

"You have a ring?"

"Not yet," he admitted. "I'll have to buy one after I come back, won't I?"

The door opened again and Naminé walked in. "Good morning!" She said cheerfully. She had gotten to work on time without rushing and she was proud of herself for it. It was strange how much she could accomplish when she had actually woke up early. She looked at her coworkers' faces and realized something was off. "So what's up?"

Romberg held up the letter and Naminé went over to check it out. "What's this?" She asked, flipping the envelope over in her hands.

"You can open it," Romberg told her.

Naminé looked at Romberg again before she opened the envelope and took out the letter. After unfolding it, her blue eyes darted across the page as they tried to pick up the gist of it. Her eyebrows furrowed together. "They can't be..."

"Serious?" Romberg finished.

Kimblee looked at the couple before heading for the door. "I'll be back in a bit," he told them as he turned the doorknob. He didn't want to be there for the waterworks because more or less, it would be annoying. Not to mention the scene would look wrong since any waterworks would be coming from the female officer. She was seemed to strong for that.

* * *

Naminé saying goodbye to Romberg at the train station had been a lot less eventful than the Crimson Alchemist had expected. Maybe she had gotten rid of all her tears the day prior. Or maybe she was that tough. But whatever the reason, he was glad that he didn't have to comfort the woman because in all honesty he wouldn't have been sure on how to go about that. What would he have told her? That Romberg would be fine as long as an Ishbalan didn't sneak up behind him and get a headshot?

"What are you smirking about?"

Kimblee looked away from the office window at Naminé who was currently sitting on top of the desk. Apparently, the woman had decided to stop reading her alchemy book to look at him. He turned around to face her and placed his hands in his pockets. "Nothing much, Thomson."

She gave him a quick glance-over. "Are you happy that Thad's no longer here?"

He raised an eyebrow. "If you have to know, I was thinking how interesting things will be. Considering that there's only the two of us now."

"Of course you would find that interesting," she said, her eyes returning to her book. She flipped to the next page. _If anything, it would probably be more awkward than interesting_, she thought to herself. Months ago when she had arrived, it had been the four of them. She had grown so accustomed to it that when Isabelle left, it had felt strange. Thad's presence had helped a bit but now that he was gone... She sighed. Why the hell didn't the Fuhrer send the state alchemists to Ishbal? She couldn't stand knowing that she was safely doing office work while Romberg was-

"He'll be fine."

Naminé looked up, surprised to hear Kimblee talking to her again. "What?"

"I said he'll be fine," he repeated much to his annoyance.

"...Why are you telling me this?" She asked slowly.

Kimblee shrugged. "I thought it was something you'd like to hear."

Her blue eyes returned to her book. She wouldn't be miserable about the situation in front of Kimblee. He would probably be annoyed by it, she thought. So it made sense for him to not know how she was feeling about this. Or maybe he already had some idea. She bit her lip before saying a quiet, "Thank you."

**A/N: And that's it. I hope the next chapter will be up soon. Till later.**


	18. Chapter 18: The Town of Gold

**A/N: It's been how long? 5 months? Yeah. That's kinda bad. But I'm will attempt to finish this story (and a few others) before the end of the year. This was supposed to be the pre-Ishbalan chapter but I changed my mind. No matter how many times I tried to start the chapter it just wouldn't come out right. This is the fifth version of Chapter 18 and I happened to like this one the best. If everything goes according to plan in my head, Chapter 20/21 should be the pre-Ishbalan chapter. For now, I will give you the last Naminé-and-Kimblee mission. **

**CHAPTER 18—The Town of Gold:**

"Usually newlyweds don't come to Milridge for their honeymoon," the old inn keeper said as she took the two to their third floor room. "Actually, you two are probably the first!"

Kimblee smirked. He had seen Naminé's cringe at the word 'newlyweds'. It was glad that they could agree on something for a change. "Well, I wanted to give my dear, sweet Ramona," —again, another cringe from Naminé— "a special gift and with the recent gold discovery here, I figured why not? Besides, we've never been so far south before." The Crimson Alchemist looked at Naminé. The woman had decided to wear a blue flower-print sundress with brown boots and a sunhat. It had been a while since he had seen her out of uniform. "Hey, _darling_, do you need help with your bags?"

Unlike Kimblee, who had managed to pack everything he needed into one, Naminé was carrying two. The inn keeper was probably wondering why her 'husband' was asking now after they had walked up two flights of stairs. _If only she knew this was a ruse_, Naminé thought. She looked at him, glancing over his average attire. The only thing that stuck out was the black gloves he had on to hide his alchemic tattoos. She cracked a smile. "I'm fine, _sweetie_."

The inn keeper opened the room and smiled at the couple. "This is your room. I hope it's to your liking."

Naminé and Kimblee peered in. Both their eyebrows rose at the sight of one large bed.

"Is something wrong?" The innkeeper asked.

"No, it's nice," Naminé said.

"Here's your key," the inn keeper said, handing it over to Kimblee. She placed it in his gloved hand. "If you need anything, let me know."

"Thank you," Naminé said. "Me and James definitely will." The innkeeper left and the two hurried into the room, closing the door behind them. They dropped their bags and looked at each other, glad that they could finally drop the lovey-dovey act. Sweetie? Naminé shook her head at herself. There was nothing sweet about him. Hell, she wouldn't even allow herself to be referred to as his lover, wife, whatever else she would be called from here on out if it wasn't for Colonel Gran and his stupid missions.

Apparently ever since Romberg had left, Gran had taken the liberty to find them real work to do. The first week hadn't been bad; the colonel had sent them on a couple of minor assignments around South City. However, this week had been chockfull of assignments and to top off this wonderful week, Gran had sent them here. At the least it would be a four-day mission and unfortunately she would have to put up with Kimblee twenty-four seven. Last year, she wouldn't have minded this predicament. But after all the drama and the only two bridges – Isabelle and Romberg – were gone, four days alone with the Crimson Alchemist would be awkward.

She threw herself on the bed. "How are we going to do this?" Naminé suddenly asked.

"I don't know," he muttered as he headed toward the window. He opened it and looked below. Despite the hot weather, people were still visiting all the stands and little shops on the street. "We can't go around asking too many questions."

"I know that."

"Sure you do."

"If you honestly think that I'll go around asking about that missing soldier-!"

"I never said that."

Did he think she was stupid or something? At this point, she knew what he was thinking. Maybe not his exact thoughts but she had a pretty good idea. "And about 'the gold alchemists'?"

Kimblee shrugged. "I think they'll find us. They'll be wary of any new comers."

Milridge was a town near the Amestris-Aerugo border. The town was poor until a few weeks ago when it had miraculously struck gold. Anytime gold was struck, the military was sent to make sure the struck gold was the real deal. It was an unspoken rule that gold should not be transmuted due to possible affects on the Amestrian economy. In Milridge's case, the action had been even more imperative; it had seemed too good to be true. One of South HQ men had been sent down to investigate. A few days ago, South HQ had lost contact with him. Their primary mission: to find out who was transmuting the gold. Secondary mission: to find the missing soldier.

Of course, after what happened to the last soldier, Gran had believed it was necessary for them to go incognito. Hence the pretend marital status.

Naminé sighed at the thought. She wondered what Kimblee thought about all this. Was he just as equally as annoyed or even more so? Pretty soon they would have to solve the bed issue. She tried to imagine Kimblee being a gentleman and offering her the bed for the next few days. She doubted that he would though. When was he ever a gentleman? Then she remembered the only date they ever had. He had been a gentleman from the moment he had picked up her up to the moment he had kissed her goodnight. So why had it stopped there?

Oh. Right. Because he was an idiot. 'Dating' Mel, saying all those rude things. Was it her fault that Romberg had been at the time the obvious choice when it came to a stability and long-term and what not? Why was she thinking about this now? It was over and done with. Now she just had to wait for Thad to come back and things would go back to normal. But what if something happened to Thad? Again, she sighed. This time she caught Kimblee's attention.

"What's wrong?" He asked, looking at the brunette. He half-expected her to say he was the problem but she said something else instead.

"You want to go shopping?"

"Seriously?"

Naminé sat up and adjusted the hat on her head. "Well, I figured that maybe we could go looking for information."

He didn't believe her. She was a woman and he knew that women couldn't resist shopping for anything. Still, she had a point. If they wanted to find out more about this 'conspiracy' they would need leads and right now the market place seemed like a good place to get them.

* * *

"May I suggest this gold piece for your lovely wife?"

Kimblee shook his head at the pricey necklace. "No thanks."

"But _sweetie_." Kimblee cringed when Naminé grabbed his arm. "I really like it."

The shop keeper smiled. "You can't deny a beautiful woman what she wants."

He had come to the shop to get a lead, not to buy his pretend wife jewelry that any sensible person wouldn't waste money on. "But you see that's the problem," Kimblee replied. "I'm afraid none of these jewelry can compare to my wife's beauty."

Naminé couldn't help but give him a half-smile. "That was almost smooth."

Kimblee looked away. "Almost, huh?" Looking down the street, he could see more stands set up for the purpose of selling gold items. "So," he addressed the shopkeeper. "I guess the discovery of gold had a huge impact on this town, huh?"

"Yeah it did," the shopkeeper replied, not too keen on the subject change. "Our town hasn't been this busy for years. But since we hit gold, there's a whole new life to the town. All sorts of people come by just to get something to bring back home."

"Keeping up with the demand must be hard. It's surprising that the gold hasn't run out yet."

Naminé watched Kimblee talk to the shopkeeper, trying to coax any leads out of the unknowing man. Kimblee had clearly done this before to some extent. He could be so rough around the edges but he could also be charming and persuasive when need be. But watching him being this 'nice' for such a lengthy time was a strange sight to Naminé. He was bound to drop the act at some point.

"So how was the gold discovered?" Kimblee asked.

The shopkeeper smiled at the memory. "Some kids were exploring some of the old mines. The mines are off limits because they're old and can easily collapse but kids will be kids, you know. I mean, you must know, since you two must be considering kids and all."

"More or less," Kimblee replied. Could he even imagine that? Actually he rather he didn't.

"Anyway," the man went on, "one of the kids found something 'shiny' in the ground. The mayor sent his people to go to inspect and it turned out it was gold! We thought it was only little but apparently it's not! We're the talk of all the nearby towns. We even caught the attention of the military!"

"You did?" Naminé suddenly said. Kimblee looked at Naminé sharply.

The man nodded. "They sent one of their dogs here not too long ago. It's just like them, trying to get involved in other people's affairs."

"Is he still here?" Naminé asked.

"Um, I believe he left a few days ago."

Naminé was about to say something else but Kimblee cut her off by simply wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her in. "We need to get going. There are still a lot of shops to go through and I'm hoping to buy my wife a gift before the end of the day." Before she could complain or the shopkeeper could make another offer, he led Naminé away from the shop.

"I'm not stupid," she muttered. She had a pretty good guess why he was leading her away.

"I never said you were." Last thing he needed was Naminé asking too many questions.

A group of people ran passed them in a hurry. Naminé frowned. "Do you think something happened?"

"Let's find out, shall we?" Another person ran by and Kimblee quickly grabbed him by the back of his shirt. Naminé gave Kimblee a dirty look. She knew his nice act wouldn't last long. Kimblee saw her expression. He shrugged before looking at the very confused and agitated person. "What's going on?"

* * *

Some townspeople and tourists gathered around the covered entrance of one of the old mines, watching as some men tried to remove the fallen rubble. Naminé and Kimblee were among them. Apparently, not too long ago, a couple of kids were exploring the mine when the entrance collapsed.

"We need a better strategy!" One of the digging men said.

"Like what?"

Naminé made a move but Kimblee grabbed her wrist. "If we do anything, we'll attract attention to ourselves."

"We have to do something."

"No we don't." Was this really the time for her to go all humanitarian on him? Trying to use any alchemy would bring suspicion that they were not who they said they were. They would without a doubt be watched at all times by the mayor's men. They wouldn't be able to snoop around at that point and knowing their luck, they would be taken care of. But he realized that the brunette was beyond reason when she yanked her arm away. He watched as she pushed her way through the crowd. _This is what I have to deal with for the next few days?_

Naminé pulled out a piece of chalk from the inside of her boot and approached the digging men. They stopped and looked at her, slightly confused.

"It's okay, miss," one of them said. "You don't have to-!"

"Excuse me for the moment," Naminé said. "I can take care of this."

They looked at her and then at the piece of chalk before backing away from the entrance. Naminé took a deep breath and drew a simple transmutation circle on the ground. She could hear a few whispers but she paid them no mind. She clapped her hands and touched the alchemic array. In no time, the fallen rubble became a block of rock, standing to the side of the mine entrance. Naminé waited for the trapped kids to emerge but no one did.

A couple of townsmen ran passed her and into the mine. Eventually they emerged. "There's no one in there!"

Naminé frowned. _That's strange. Did someone make a mistake? _A hand gripped her shoulder and she turned around, staring into golden eyes.

"Let's get out of here."

* * *

"Can you blame me?"

"What do you think, Thomson?"

Within the privacy of their hotel room, the two faced each other. Naminé sat on the bed while Kimblee leaned on the windowsill. Once again they were at odds with each other. Something told them this wouldn't be the last time either.

Naminé folded her arms. "If you knew little kids could be trapped in there, would you leave them?"

"Unless there's something in it for me, most likely I would." Kimblee saw Naminé's expression of disbelief and quickly tried to explain himself. "In this situation we shouldn't be performing any alchemy. Right now, we're 'newlyweds' not dogs of the state. And the funny thing is, there was no one in there so your little charity act was all for nothing."

"I didn't do that as a charity act," Naminé said, trying to keep her voice even. "Not everyone is as selfish as you."

"No, babe. It's called common sense. You know this is the second time someone lied about people being trapped in the mines?"

Naminé folded her arms, ready to see where this was going. "Is that so?"

"I overheard someone saying that in the crowd. And who do you think would be spreading these lies and for what purpose?" He watched Naminé's face waiting for it to dawn on her. A moment later he saw her 'oh' look. He couldn't help but smirk smugly at her. "I'm glad I finally got through your thick skull." Suddenly something white, fluffy and square hit his face. _Did she just throw what I think she threw?_ His golden eyes landed on the pillow on the floor. Apparently she had.

Naminé saw his expression and laughed. It was amazing how happy throwing that pillow had made her. However, she should have expected him to throw it back. "Hey!"

"You threw it first."

"Yeah but you deserved it!" She said, throwing it back at Kimblee.

This time Kimblee caught the pillow before it could hit his face. He was just about to throw it back when there was a loud knock. They both looked at the door before Naminé stood up. "I'll get it." As she headed toward the door, the pillow hit her in the back. She gave Kimblee a look and Kimblee gave her his trademark smirk. The woman had to turn around to hide her smile.

Naminé opened the door and her eyebrows furrowed together. "Hello," she said, confusion in her voice. In front of her were a girl who was about twelve years old and a boy about eight or nine. They seemed to be siblings; they had the same dark brown hair and dark brown eyes. They even had the same round nose. She looked back at Kimblee who staring at the children in equal confusion before turning back toward the two children. "Are you lost?"

"You're the lady who did alchemy before at the mines, right?" The little girl asked. Naminé slowly nodded and the children started hopping happily in place. As quickly as they started, they quickly calmed down. "We need your help," the girl explained.

Naminé thought about what troubles a kid would have that could be solved with alchemy. _Maybe it's a broken toy_, she thought. _Or maybe they broke something they weren't supposed to_. Naminé gave a friendly smile, put her hands on her knees, and got to their eye level. "What do you need help with?"

"Some bad people trapped someone in the mines!" The boy exclaimed.

"Shhhh!" The girl exclaimed. "People might hear us out here!"

Naminé stared at the kids dumbfounded. Even Kimblee seemed a bit surprised. This was not what they had in mind.

**A/N: Thanks to Mikkiz for reviewing and to those who added this story on to their favorites/alerts lists. So how was it? Please submit a review to comment or ask questions. Hopefully there shouldn't be thirty versions of Chapter 19 so maybe I'll get it up this weekend. **


	19. Chapter 19: Into the Mines

**A/N: Yay! It took a while but it's done. I'm currently working on Chapter 20 and hopefully will be done by the time the weekend comes. I don't have much to say, so there won't be a second author's note at the end of this chapter. Thanks to thegriffin88 and Selvestier for reviewing and to those who added this story to their alerts/favorites. It makes me happy that people are reading. If you have time, please review. :) But in the meantime, enjoy. **

**CHAPTER 19—Into the Mines:**

"So _you_ were the ones spreading the lies?" Naminé asked. The two children nodded proudly. Naminé looked at Kimblee. Finally the moment she had been waiting for. After all his comments about how _she_ would jeopardize the mission and making her feel stupid, Kimblee was wrong. It was a very satisfying feeling, even more so when ignoring the fact he could have been right. Kimblee looked and quirked an eyebrow, as if asking her should he care. The woman couldn't help but roll her eyes.

It had taken about twenty minutes for the girl Carra and her brother Noah to run through their tale about the 'bad men,' the 'man trapped in one of the mines,' and the couple of lies they told to have people try to dig out a few of them because they 'couldn't remember which mine it was.' Considering that the two alchemists still had no leads, the news had been a bit of a letdown.

"Um, Miss Ramona," Carra said, shifting her weight onto her other foot. "We were wondering, since you're and alchemist and all, if you can help us look through the mines."

"That way we don't have to lie anymore," Noah said excitedly.

"So can you?" Carra asked.

Naminé couldn't recall the last time she had seen a little kid so happy. She thought about Kaili, remembering that she hadn't seen her sister in months. Sure she had talked to her over the phone but it didn't make up the difference. But work had always kept her busy and on top of that she wasn't all that eager to return home. Perhaps that was why she said: "Why don't you come back tomorrow morning and we'll go see the mines."

"Yay," Carra said bouncing up and down.

"Thank you!" Noah said.

Naminé looked at the window and saw how late it was. "I guess I should walk you back," she said, standing up. "How far do you live from here?"

"It's okay," Carra said. "We don't live that far."

"Are you sure?" Naminé asked, her eyebrows furrowed together. The kids nodded and a moment or two later they left to go home. Naminé faced Kimblee, half expecting him to comment or insult her. But he didn't do anything. He just disappeared into the bathroom. She sat down on the bed and listened to the faucet run.

"Hey Kimblee?" No response came. "Kimblee?"

"What is it?"

"Do you want come with us tomorrow?" Just for a second, she thought she heard a short chuckle before he answered.

"You're on your own, babe."

"Honestly?"

"We can't both be stupid and get caught, right?" The faucet turned off and Kimblee emerged from the bathroom. He watched Naminé hop off the bed and walked over to her suitcase. She pulled out a pink set of pajamas. After a while he asked, "You want the bed, right?"

"That would be nice," she replied, raising her eyebrows at his question. Was he expecting to fight her for it?

"It's all yours then." He grabbed some extra sheets from the closet and set them on the floor before grabbing a pillow off the bed. He glanced up and saw her giving him a strange look. "What? You were hoping I would ask you to share?"

"Don't be ridiculous."

Kimblee removed his shirt and Naminé blinked a few times. He wasn't extremely muscular, but he was lean and so well-toned. Every muscle was defined and visible. It must have been awhile since she had seen Kimblee or any man for that matter shirtless because she knew that she shouldn't be staring this much. _It must be boyfriend withdrawal._ She didn't know that Kimblee had been watching her examining him until he said:

"Unless you want me to sub for Romberg tonight."

Naminé face heated up and she quickly headed to the bathroom with her pajamas. "No thanks," she said, slamming the door behind her. Unbelievable. He actually believed that she would think that. "Like I would ever," she muttered to herself as she got ready for bed. Now that Kimblee had brought Thad up, she couldn't stop thinking about him. She hadn't heard from him since he had left but she supposed no news was good news. She looked in the mirror. _Positive thoughts_, she told herself. Last thing she needed was to have nightmares about Romberg dying.

* * *

"You sure you don't want to come?" Naminé asked Kimblee the next morning.

"Yeah," Kimblee said as he watched Naminé cross the room in her khaki shorts and purple tank top. He wanted to say how great her legs were – just to see how red she would get – but after that Romberg comment last night, now wasn't the right time. Maybe in the next twenty-four hours or so. "...Are you sure you want to do something this stupid?"

She gave him a dirty look before finding her boots from yesterday. She started to put them on. "First of all, it's not stupid. Second of all, we need some lead."

"True," he said slowly, not to keen on agreeing with her. "But you, who already exposed yourself as alchemist, will look more suspicious running around minds unblocking them. We don't need anymore attention than we already have."

"Since when do you play it safe?" Naminé said pointedly. "Aren't you the one who would blow someone up any chance you get? I'm surprised you haven't blown anyone up yet."

"Is that what you think of me?" Kimblee smirked. "That I'm some bomb-happy psychopath that can't control myself?"

Naminé stood up, her boots now on. Her blue eyes landed on Kimblee. "That's one way of putting it." She had seen Kimblee blow limbs off a few people without second thought. He had even threatened to blow her up when they had first met. Back then, she hadn't taken him seriously. Of course, if she knew what she did now, she would have been frightened. Although the last time she had seen Kimblee blow a guy's arm off had been a while ago. There had been a few times when he had clearly held back in a mission. Why, she didn't know. Maybe he could exercise some self control. Knowing what they call him in the military, that was surprising. Still, that didn't change how dangerous his alchemy could be.

She grabbed her jacket and headed toward the door. "I'll see you later then."

"Yeah. Sure. Assuming you don't get caught."

Naminé ignored him and left the room.

Two hours had passed. Naminé, Carra, and Noah had cleared about five mines so far. Naminé hadn't thought it would take this long. However, she had underestimated the time it would take to unblock the mine via alchemy, to check if anyone was inside, and then walk over to the next mine in line. And so far, every mine they had checked had been a waste of time. After walking out of another mine, Naminé sat down and put the lit lantern on the ground next to her. Carra and Noah sat across from her.

"Sorry this isn't turning out the way we hoped, Miss Ramona," Carra apologized.

Naminé gave a small smile. "It's okay. I'm pretty sure we'll find the right one."

Noah frowned. "I wish we remembered which mine it was."

"Or that your husband was an alchemist too," Carra said sadly, not noticing the expression on Naminé's face. "We could have had two groups going around."

"That would have been nice," Naminé thought. _I wonder what Kimblee's doing by himself right now._ Maybe he was trying to do the mission _his_ way. She couldn't imagine him sitting in their room all day especially when it was nice out.

"Are you two thirsty?" Naminé asked. The siblings nodded and the woman removed the small knapsack from her back. Along with the lantern, she had bought the knapsack, water, and a few snacks. She quickly handed each kid a bottle before taking and opening one for herself. She hadn't realized how thirsty she was until she drank the last drop of water.

"We should check that closed off mine there!" Noah said, pointing behind Naminé.

The brunette turned around. "What do we have to lose?"

After quenching their thirst, they headed over to the block mine. Once they got there Naminé drew another transmutation circle in front of the rubble. She clapped her hands and touched the alchemic array. The fallen rocks and debris were reconstructed into a block. Naminé looked at the children. Despite how many times she had done the same trick this morning, they seemed to only get more impressed. Naminé held up her lantern toward the edge of darkness. "I guess we'll see if we can find him." Naminé took a step forward but stopped. "Um, maybe you two should stay outside this time."

Carra frowned. "Why—Oh." Her innocent eyes stared at the 'DANGER' sign.

"It can't be any more dangerous than the other mines," Noah said.

"Still, I'll check it out by myself," Naminé said. She slid her knapsack off her shoulder and onto the ground. "There are snacks in here if you get hungry. Stay here in the meantime."

She took their disappointed sighs as a reluctant 'okay.' Naminé walked deeper into the mine, lifting up the warning sign on her way in. Already she felt the cool air only found in the mines. The temperature drop was the only good thing about mine exploring. Everything else just, well, sucked. For example, she hated was how creepy it was. With Noah and Carra around, she felt okay. But alone, every sound had her on edge.

The brunette held the lantern high. "Hello?" No response. She tried again a little louder. "Hello?"

She sighed. She was beginning to wonder if this was a waste of time. What if the missing soldier was already dead? Then she would never get an answer. "I can't think like Kimblee now," she told herself. At the very least one of them had to care about this aspect of the mission.

"Hello?" Naminé listened to her voice echo throughout the old mine.

"You do know the mines are off limits, right?"

Naminé turned around and held the lantern to see two men blocking the way she had came in. _Can I handle them? _She quickly sized them up. _Definitely not hand to hand. _They were both tall, having at least six inches on her. While they weren't buff, they looked like had done some sort of physical labor. In the flickering orange light of the lantern, it was hard to see exactly what the men's features were because they were still a few good feet away.

"Where are they?" Naminé immediately asked.

"They?" One of them said. "Are you talking about Noah and Carra? If it makes you feel better, they're still outside with a couple of our good buddies."

"Dan," the other man said, tilting his head to the side. "If I remember correctly, this is the lady alchemist from yesterday."

"Oh, you're right, Jeff," Dan replied. His attention was once again on Naminé. "I guess the kids asked you to look for their father, right, sweetheart?"

"Their father?" Naminé repeated.

"He, er, he got 'lost' in one of the mines," Jeff elaborated. "It was a bit unfortunate."

Naminé raised an eyebrow. _"Some bad people trapped someone in the mines!" _That was what Noah had told Kimblee and her at the time. But now that she thought about it, they had never said exactly who was trapped, whether it was a military man or someone from their town. She had just assumed it was their missing guy. _This isn't adding up, _she thought.

"A lot of people seem to be getting trapped in the mines these days," Dan said offhandedly. His brooding eyes were on Naminé the entire time as he spoke. "It would be awful if your husband didn't get to see your pretty face again."

Naminé thought about the Crimson Alchemist. "Trust me, he'll live."

Dan smirked. "A sense of humor. I like that in a woman."

"Dan, stop flirting."

Naminé looked at Jeff and saw him pull out a pistol. She wanted to snap her fingers but at the moment, her dominant hand was holding the lantern. She thought about dropping it but chances were, they might just try their luck at firing in the dark. She probably would do the same thing in their position, although her intent wouldn't be to kill.

"Dan, get some rope."

"Relax," Dan said, walking away from them. "Let me just transmute it."

"In the mean time 'sweetheart,' don't even try to do anything," Jeff said. He was giving her a look that said he had no problem shooting her on the spot and he saw that Naminé believed that as well.

* * *

Kimblee originally had no intentions of going down to the mines. Obviously, Naminé's stunt yesterday had garnered unwanted attention. Sneaking around the mines wouldn't help in the slightest. But it had been a few hours since his comrade had ran off with those two kids. If anything, he was almost certain than she had run into trouble.

Naminé wasn't stupid but she was bound to make a mistake. She was still inexperienced, at least to the concept of infiltration and espionage, and probably wouldn't think about actions completely. But then something had occured to him this morning: without any real leads, Naminé was good bait. The gold alchemists would come after her and then he would come to her rescue, while completing his objective. It sounded like a good plan. It was part of the reason he didn't force her to not go. The only thing that could go wrong was if Naminé somehow got killed.

After walking around the mines for a while, he spotted the two children from before being held hostages by two burly men. One managed to hold both children one in each arm. The other sat there, admiring his shotgun. Neither one noticed him yet.

Kimblee got as close as possible, only stopping when the two men turned around. The one with the shotgun quickly stood up, his dark eyes already on the alchemist. Kimblee smirked. "Why, hello there. I was wondering if you can tell me where my wife is."

"The female alchemist from yesterday," said the shotgun owner. "We heard she went into the mine. We sent two of our friends to make sure your wife is okay."

Kimblee's golden eyes flickered to the muffled children before landing on the gun. Already, his mind was calculating all the ways he could go about this and none of them had more than a forty percent chance of working. He would have said sixty but his target was heavier than he was. _Still, I'm pretty sure I can take him down. _He didn't think he would get a reason to use his alchemy so soon. If Naminé questioned him later, he could support his actions. _Not like her opinion on what I do matters_, he told himself. He looked at his gloved hands and grinned. "Well, no point in hiding it anymore."

The man holding Carra and Noah frowned. "Hiding what?"

Kimblee didn't answer. He nonchalantly removed his gloves, clapped his hands, and picked up a decent sized rock. He tossed it up and down a few times before looking at the shotgun owner. "Here. Catch."

The man had expected Kimblee to actually throw the stone as hard as he could. However, the man had gone for an easy underhand. Still, he wasn't going to dare let go of his shotgun and catch it. He took a few steps back and the rock fell at his feet. "What was-!" Suddenly the rock exploded and the dirt, dust, and the like flew up into the air.

Carra and Noah stared in shock. The man holding them, however, was even more shocked. He saw Kimblee run into the dust cloud at his fellow thug. "Watch out! He's the Crimson Alchemist!" There were a few gunshots and then a bizarre popping sound followed by screaming. The man took a step back, his hold on the kids tightening, as Kimblee emerged from the dust cloud holding the gun.

"You know, I'm glad my reputation precedes me," Kimblee said, exploding the weapon. "Means my intentions are pretty clear."

The dust cleared up and the man saw his partner on the ground, trying to muffle his cries as he held his bleeding face. "You,you..."

Kimblee shrugged, clearly not affected by his actions. However it took a lot of willpower not to turn around and kill the screaming man. All his screams were starting to get on his nerves. But he didn't have time to waste; he needed to get to Naminé. He left the guy on the floor and started to approach the man holding the kids. For each step he took forward, the man was quick to take two steps back.

"Stop or I'll snap these kids' neck!"

Carra and Noah looked terrified. But Kimblee looked nonchalant. He casually clapped his hands again and continued walking. "And I care why?"

"Because, because-!" The man tripped over his own two feet and fell hard on the floor. He let go of the two kids and his only defense ran away from him. Before the man could get up, Kimblee was already looking down at him with a dangerous gleam in his eyes.

"Please! Don't blow me up!" He begged but a little voice in his head told him Kimblee would not spare his life. He looked over at his screaming comrade and realized that he would not be getting any help anytime soon either. If only the other two guys... "Shouldn't you be more concern about your wife?"

"She can handle herself."

"That's what you think! You don't kno-!" Kimblee punched him square between the eyes and the man's head hit the ground. Whether it was because of Kimblee's punch or the impact of hitting the dirt, the man laid unconscious.

The children slowly approached Kimblee. Noah timidly asked, "You're not going to blow us up, right?"

"Don't be ridiculous," Kimblee muttered. "Naminé would try to kill me." Keyword, _try_.

"Naminé?" Noah asked, clearly confused.

Carra's big brown eyes stared at Kimblee's bloody knuckles. "He means the Lightning Alchemist."

* * *

Dan and Jeff led the Lightning Alchemist deeper into the mine. Jeff walked behind her, pressing the pistol. Dan, who walked ahead of them, led her with the transmuted rope as if she was a dog on a leash. That leash of a rope was attached to her bounded hands. She had been trying to loosen the bindings the entire time as she was led further into the mine. Yet they were still as tight as ever. This situation was starting to look very bad. The last time she had been isolated from her teammate was when she had stupidly walked into Daniels' trap. _Just as how I stupidly walked right into this_, she thought bitterly. _And I don't think Kimblee's coming to rescue me either. _Surely he cared enough to look for her, right?

_I could try to snap my fingers and shock one of them with lightning but I might shock myself. So I would have to clap my hands and send a jolt that way. Unfortunately, it's two against one. One wrong move is all I need to get shot. _She was doomed. So, so doomed. What would people say at her funeral? Oh, wait. That would be assuming they found her body. And what about Carra and Noah? If these people were smart and cruel enough, they would get rid of witnesses.

"How far are we going into the mine?" Dan asked.

"As far as we need to-!" Jeff stopped walking. Naminé had stopped to, forcing Dan to come to a halt as well. "Did you hear that grunt?"

Dan frowned. "What grunt?" He started to lift the lantern around, trying to find a possible source."I didn't hear anything."

Naminé heard a sickening thud behind her and Jeff crumbled to the floor. Dan turned around to see what had happened, dropping her 'leash.' Naminé saw her chance. She awkwardly clapped her hands and slammed them into Dan's stomach. The hairs on the nape of neck stood up as the jolt shot through the man's body. The lantern fell out of Dan's hand as Dan dropped to the ground, temporarily paralyzed.

She turned around. "Kimblee! I'm so glad you're-!"

"Kimblee?" The lantern was picked up the mysterious person and held up to her face. Naminé squinted. "Did the military send you guys to look for me?"


	20. Chapter 20: The Monster Within

**A/N: I was supposed to update last weekend. But I've been super tired thanks to this new internship. I'm happy that I have one but waking up at a quarter to 6am is not my thing. At least I updated in a week and a half and not a month. This chapter is longer than the others because I wanted to end this mission arc in one last chapter. Enjoy. **

**CHAPTER 20—The Monster Within:**

An unconscious man and another who had yet to get over losing two layers of facial skin. This was too damn easy to encase these mans in transmuted boxes. Kimblee glanced at the two kids who watched in fascination of his alchemic abilities. Personally he didn't understand why they were impressed; Naminé must have been doing this all day. Which brought up another question.

He wanted to ask Carra how she knew that 'Miss Ramona' was the Lightning Alchemist, if it was something she figured out for herself or it was the gossip of the town. He was pretty sure Naminé hadn't been putting on lightning shows. But he didn't have time to waste. If Naminé was in any danger, he needed to get to her fast. "Are you two staying out here or what?" He asked as he headed over to the mine.

"We're coming!" Carra exclaimed, rushing to catch up with him. Noah was not that far behind.

They walked into the mine, leaving the light of day behind them. Already the kids were frightened of the dark. However they didn't dare say so out loud. They doubted that the Crimson Alchemist would be as sympathetic as 'Miss Ramona.' So they stayed as close to the intimidating man as possible.

Kimblee touched the walls of the mine to find his way. If he had known it would come down to this, he would have been better prepared. Running would have been a lot faster but what else could he do? He felt a curve in the wall, meaning a turn was coming up. Suddenly light came from around the bend and he stopped in his tracks. Carra and Noah bumped into him.

Noah saw the light and bit his lips. "They're coming back. That means that they, they-!"

The light stopped moving and Kimblee frowned. _Great. They heard us. _He clapped his hands as quietly as possible and pressed himself against the wall. He waited. Then he heard a sound right around the bend. Kimblee attacked. He tried to grab the person but they moved out of the way. They grabbed his arm and flipped him over. He looked up into the eyes of his attacker. "Naminé?"

With the light shining on not only herself but on the man as well, she realized what she had done. "I'm sorry!" She apologized, trying to help him up. "I didn't expect to come."

"Why wouldn't I?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You never know with you." She was about to ask for Carra and Noah but then she saw them coming out. She couldn't help but smile. She was glad to see that they were okay and well.

"Major Thomson?"

Naminé stepped aside so Kimblee could have a better look at the lantern holder. "Kimblee, this Sergeant Michael Cole. Part one of our objective is complete."

* * *

Kimblee, Naminé, Carra, and Noah watched the sergeant devour Naminé's snacks. Naminé wanted to tell the man that maybe he should slow down. Kimblee wanted to say something along those lines as well. Carra and Noah had saved sandwiches for themselves but had yet to touch them. Despite their staring, Sergeant Cole wolfed down another nutrition bar. "Do you have something to drink, Major Thomson?" Naminé merely nodded and tossed him a bottle of water. He caught it, quickly twisted off the cap, and guzzled the water down.

Sergeant Cole was probably in his late twenties, early thirties but after being trapped in the mines for a few days, he appeared a few years older. His face and military uniform were covered with grime, his hair was messy, and well he didn't smell so great. He seemed weaker due to not eating and drinking the last few days, but his square jaw suggested that on average day, he normally came off as otherwise.

The sergeant sighed in content. "I didn't expect you guys to find me. Or anyone for that matter."

"Naminé's persistent," Kimblee said. Naminé looked at him. Clearly she knew that had not been a compliment.

"Major Kimblee," the sergeant intervened and nodded toward the handkerchief around Kimblee's knuckles. "I wouldn't guess purple was your color."

At this, Naminé giggled. Kimblee raised an eyebrow but didn't comment. The only reason it was around his knuckles was because Naminé had insisted. Once they had reached outside the mine, she had seen his bleeding knuckles and rushed over to take care of it. She didn't have any bandages. The only thing she had was a woman's purple handkerchief, donned with lace and stuff. At least it hadn't been a ridiculous pink.

"Can I have another bottle of water?" The sergeant asked. "If you don't mind." Naminé threw another bottle the man's way. "Thanks," he said. His green eyes landed on the children. "About your father-!"

"Their father?" Kimblee questioned.

"Their father was trapped in the mines," Naminé replied. Her blue eyes looked at Carra and Noah. Noah seemed confused by Naminé's expression. Carra, on the other hand, stared at her head on. Which meant that Noah was out of the dark for the most part. "Before, when you asked for my help, you never specified who was trapped. Plus you made it sound like it was only one person. Did you believe that only your father was trapped in the mines?"

"We... We knew that Sergeant Cole was, too," Carra said. "But I told Noah to act like only one person was trapped."

"Why?"

"Because I knew who you were the Lightning Alchemist."

Naminé stared. Did everyone in Milridge know? That would mean she was every bit as careless as Kimblee had said. Maybe she was momentarily readable because Carra was quick to say that it wasn't what she was thinking.

"I saw a story about you in a newspaper my dad got from South City," Carra explained. "I always wanted to be a State Alchemist but there's not a lot of female ones. My dad thought seeing one might be good."

Naminé stared. "The military makes announcements about who becomes a state alchemist?"

"Oh no," Carra said immediately. "It was the story about that man who wanted to kill you."

"I see." That made sense. When Daniels had escaped, even the people in her neighborhood knew that he had been coming after her. She just didn't know there had been article about it. _Not like I read the newspaper anyway_, Naminé thought.

"You were military so I thought you were probably looking for Sergeant Cole," Carra admitted. "You probably wouldn't waste time looking for my dad."

Naminé shook her head. "That's not true. We'll find your father."

"Me, too," the sergeant said. "I owe it to the man. He's only in this position because he was trying to help me."

Kimblee wasn't on board. "We'll find him after we finish the assignment."

"Can you forget about the assignment for one moment?" Naminé said. "Gran gave us four days to finish this mission before he takes drastic action."

"We don't have four days," he replied, slightly agitated by this. "Eventually our enemies will notice that four of their men are missing. At best we have a few hours. There's only two of us-!"

"In case you forgot, Crimson, I'm helping," Sergeant Cole interrupted.

Kimblee looked at the man. "When was the last time you ate, sergeant? Before today."

"Four days ago," he replied curtly.

"Mentally you're up for it, physically you're not. You'll just be a liability."

The sergeant gave Kimblee a stern look but didn't respond. His body did feel a bit tired and maybe he could push himself. However, he could easily make a mistake that might not just cost his life. "Fine," he said, admitting defeat. "I won't go but the least I'll do is tell you what you're looking for, Crimson."

* * *

It was back to just the two of them again. Kimblee was acting like his normal self as he made his way pass the mines. Naminé, on the other hand, wasn't taking this lightly. She had thought about what Kimblee had said and now she understood what he was talking about. It was not a very comforting thought. "Kimblee?"

"Hm?" He didn't slow down his pace.

"What you said earlier," she said. "You were right."

"...You're saying this because?"

"I don't know," she said with a shrug. "Maybe there are advantages to being a little coldhearted."

Kimblee smirked. "Is that what you call it?"

"I mean, well..." Naminé tried to find a different way to word it. "You don't get emotional about things and lose objectivity."

"The only reason you get emotional because you're a very considerate person," Kimblee told her.

Naminé stopped herself from saying 'thank you.' It was the nicest thing he had said to her in a while. But she reminded herself that maybe Kimblee hadn't thought of it as a compliment, that he had just been stating an opinion. "How do we incriminate the mayor?" She asked, changing the topic. "I feel that not a lot of people would believe us."

"If we find the kids' father, he could be a witness," Kimblee said. "Else we force it out of his followers."

According to Sergeant Cole, the mayor was at the top of the gold operation. The mayor was unfavorable with the town because he had only worsened Milridge due to overspending and possibly embezzlement. But the mayor position was a good one and the man needed something to boost his popularity. The kids finding gold in an old mine – a rumor started by the mayor and backed up by the 'gold alchemists.' Interestingly enough the 'gold alchemists' consisted of only ten individuals and only half of them were real alchemists. They had handled four of them and the siblings' dad had been one of them. Therefore there were only five more people to worry about. Shouldn't be too hard, right?

"There's the mine shaft," Naminé pointed.

The mine shaft had an elevator on the side but they weren't going to use it. It would be too noisy. Naminé took out a piece of chalk and drew an alchemic array inside the shaft. Then she clapped her hands and touched it. A series of small steps, ladder-like in their function, popped out of the side. Kimblee headed down first. Naminé gave him a minute before heading down herself.

Eventually Kimblee reached the bottom. The only light he could see was the sunlight pouring in from above. Unfortunately it didn't reach down here. "Are you almost down?"

"I can't tell."

"...Let go."

"What?"

"I'll catch you."

"In the dark?"

"Yeah."

Naminé took a deep breath and let go out of the ladder. At first, it felt like she was going in slow motion. Then everything just rushed at her from below. Finally, she fell into something warm. It wasn't until she exhaled that she realized that she had been holding her breath the entire time. "You actually caught me," she said as she looked up at what she thought was his face.

"I told you I would," Kimblee replied as he helped her get on her feet. He looked into the darkness. "We should have brought that lantern or something."

Naminé reached into her shorts' pocket, felt a few pieces of chalk, and then what she was looking for: a pack of matches. She struck one and held it up between her and Kimblee.

"Where did you get those?"

"From the men who attacked me," she said. "I went through their pockets after they were knocked out."

Kimblee smirked. "You're something else."

There was only one path so the two of them followed it, striking new matches when necessary. The path was surprisingly windy and seemed that it stretched on for quite a bit. Unfortunately, they were almost out of matches.

Naminé quickly blew out another match and struck the third to last one. Her heart pounded with every turn as she wondered what was waiting around the corner. She told herself there was nothing to be worried about. She was with Kimblee after all. But the uneasiness didn't leave her. After walking a couple more yards, Naminé spotted light up ahead and blew out the last match.

This part of the tunnel had been lit with torches and was so much wider than the rest of the tunnel. A little further into the opening was gold piled in huge stacks. They had thought that the stores had been loaded but this was so much more. Naminé picked up a small golden bar. It was heavy but it didn't take much to scratch it. Simply pressing her fingernail was enough. This was pure gold and the idea was a little overwhelming. She put it back in the pile and looked back at Kimblee, who was also examining the gold. "What will the military do once they confiscate the gold?"

Kimblee shrugged. "Keep it for themselves, maybe. You want to take something from here?"

"Why? You want to?"

Kimblee turned around and gave her his trademark smirk. "I won't say anything if you don't."

"How sweet of you," Naminé told him, shaking her head. "But I think I'll pass." Despite herself, she couldn't help but smile. It was so like him to suggest that. However, she didn't have time to joke about it. There were voices heard and the sounds of them were getting louder. Naminé and Kimblee went further into the tunnel, eventually hiding behind some crates.

"Unbelievable! Someone is on to me! This is all your faults!"

"How were we supposed to know?" Another man said in defense.

Naminé and Kimblee listened to that one man berate the others about how they should have been more careful, about how terrible it would be if he got exposed, about how necessary it was to eliminate the threat. Everything seemed to be about how bad it would be for him. Apparently he still didn't know who was responsible for this. "I will not be ruined!"

Naminé felt the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. She tried to ignore the feeling, but she couldn't focus on what the man was saying anymore. She looked back into the darkness behind them. In the darkness, she spotted something coming fast. But it wasn't aimed at her. Without giving it a second thought, Naminé ran toward Kimblee. She shoved him against the wall and tried to move out of the way. She felt three things shot through her body, followed by searing pain.

"Naminé!"

The crate that Kimblee had been hiding behind seconds ago was demolished by a series of transmuted spikes. But two had got her through her right leg and a third had gone through her right side and came out her back at an odd angle. Her breathing was labored; her usually bright blue eyes screamed pain. But there were still some adrenaline left over.

Gritting her teeth, Naminé held her trembling right arm out toward the darkness and snapped her fingers. A bolt of lightning hit the ground at least fifteen feet away from them in the dark. The temporary flash revealed two shadowy figures. The next two snaps came in quick secession. The two lightning bolts struck the men in the back and they crumpled to the ground.

Kimblee had been in shock but once her arm dropped, his mind finally grasped the situation again. He quickly looked over to his left. Now that the crate had been destroyed, he could see four confused men staring at them. Three of them were of similar build – tall, broad shoulders, clearly strong men that could hold their own in a fist fight. The fourth man, who was noticeably balding, was short and on the pudgy side. Compared to the other three men who were dressed in jeans and a simple shirt, he wore the nice dark suit and leather shoes. Kimblee's mind identified him as the mayor of Milridge and unless he had a gun, he wasn't going to put up a fight.

"Get them!" The mayor yelled, finally coming back to the situation as well. But Kimblee was faster. He clapped his hands and reached for the adjacent wall. The explosion caused a cave-in, separating the enemy from him and Naminé. Luckily, one of the lit torches was on their side. Kimblee needed the light for what he had to do.

"Naminé," he said. "Don't move." Her eyes squeezed shut but she nodded her head. first instinct was to pull her off the spikes but that would probably cause too much internal damage. So he separated the three spikes from their source with very small, contained explosions. He caught Naminé before she could fall into him. Carefully he propped her up against the wall.

"I'm going to pull them out." Again, she gave him a nod. He removed the one protruding from her side first. She cried out in pain. Hearing her in pain bothered him. It wasn't something he wanted to hear. Unfortunately he would have to. He grabbed the second spike, the one lodged in the upper part of her right thigh. He briefly glanced at her but her head was turned away. "Don't pass out. I still need you for this."

* * *

Another scream. It was dulled by the wall of rock but it was still audible. The mayor gritted his teeth. These two had to be the ones who were trying to take him down. Why else would they be down here snooping around? It would surprise him if they had gotten the information out of the four missing lowlifes. There was a third scream. He pointed at the fallen rocks and turned toward the three men behind him. "They're still there! Hurry up and get them!"

"Relax, Mayor," one of them said. "They're not getting far. One of them was seriously injured, remembered?" _Although she had enough energy left for those bolts. Jeez. _He pulled out his pistol and made sure it was loaded. "Aren't one of you alchemists going to do something about that cave in? Stephen?"

Stephen narrowed his coal eyes at the rocks in front of them. "You know we're dealing with two state alchemists, right?"

"Your point?" The mayor said. "You and Roger are as good as any state alchemists the military can send. Plus you have Tim back you up. What's there to worry about?"

"The man who caused the cave-in," the one named Roger started, "he's the Crimson Alchemist aka the mad bomber." He reached into his pockets and pulled out his alchemic gloves. These were the gloves he used to make gold. One changed the shape of the object while the other altered the composition. Although this time, he probably wouldn't aim for pure gold. Pure gold was just too soft for he wanted to do

Stephen smirked as he pulled out his own set. "Maybe not so mad. I've heard he's been going easy on his victims. As long as we aim to kill, he shouldn't be so hard to take down. My point, mayor, was that the military might come looking for them, this time with more people."

"Whatever," the mayor said. "We'll deal with the military when they come. They can't prove anyth-!" The rocks behind him exploded, nearly blowing out the torches. The mayor and his men turned around and saw the Crimson Alchemist standing there. The woman was sitting on the ground, applying pressure to her leg wounds but her hardened blue eyes stared at them.

_-FLASHBACK-_

Kimblee quickly moved to minimize the bleeding. He removed his shirt, revealing a white undershirt. He wasn't sure what was a worst wound, one through the abdomen or one through the thigh but since her thigh had two, he put it there. "Just hold it and apply pressure," he told her. He stood up and walked to where the cave-in was. He tried to think of how he was going to take on three men, possibly four if the mayor was good for anything. Nothing seemed in his favor.

"I'm sorry."

He looked back at the brunette. "Don't worry about it."

"It's hard not to, Kimblee," she said. She looked at her trembling right arm and thought that maybe she could get one more reliable shot with it. But that would most likely be all.

"I need you to strike down any one of them," Kimblee said as he clapped his hands. "After that, you can relax." He placed his hands to the fallen rock. Before he could explode it, he heard her voice.

"Kimblee, don't hold back." He turned around and met her intense gaze. She explained. "I think sometimes you hold back when I'm around."

Kimblee thought about when Carra and Noah had been watching him fight those two guys from earlier on. Even though Naminé had been elsewhere, she had entered his thoughts briefly. That was why he had settled for blowing off the top couple of layers of skin on the man's face.

"I want to see the mad bomber side of you," she told him. She had seen him blow people's limbs off but that had been so long ago. And something told her he was capable of so much more.

"You won't like it," he said.

"I don't care."

_-END FLASHBACK-_

Naminé looked at Kimblee's back as he stood there. She had told him she hadn't cared if he released whatever monster was inside him. That seemed like a huge mistake, but if they hoped to get out of their current predicament, he would have to do just that. Her blue eyes spotted the guy holding the pistol in his hands. She raised her shaking right hand and the guy's attention fell on her. Before he could do anything, she snapped her fingers. At the sound of the snap, the other three men looked at her. It didn't matter if she missed her target or got him. Kimblee just needed an opportunity to what he did best.

* * *

Milridge didn't have much to offer in terms of public services. But at least the town had a doctor and a few nurses. Although, with the work Kimblee had done, the medical staff was a bit short handed at the moment. The men Naminé had shocked hadn't suffered anything severe. Naminé had used a little more power than necessary but the worse they suffered had been unconsciousness. They were locked in jail with the four guys from the past afternoon. Unlike him, Naminé was natural at not letting go of her inhibitions.

In the doctor's home, Kimblee was in one of the several patient rooms with Naminé. The Lightning Alchemist was currently sleeping on a freshly made bed, prepared by one of the nurses. Thanks to a few painkillers, Naminé was sleeping peaceful. _I wonder what she thinks of me now_, Kimblee thought.

The door opened up and Carra and Noah ran inside. Noah spoke first. "Is Miss Ramo—Miss Naminé alright?"

"She's fine," Kimblee said. "Where's the sergeant?"

"Sleeping," Carra replied. "He was just as tired as you said. He told us to tell you, in case you did come back that the military has been contacted and will arrive tomorrow afternoon."

Kimblee nodded, mulling something in his head for a while. He looked at the purple handkerchief still around his knuckles. It looked even more ridiculous on his hand, especially now that it had served its purpose. He removed the thing. His knuckles were still a bit raw but they were fine. He looked at the handkerchief before putting it in his pocket.

"Your father," he said. "He should be in the same general area where we found the sergeant, right?"

The kids blinked and exchanged looks. They didn't understand why he was asking. Naminé and Sergeant Cole had been hundred times more willing to help look for their father than he had been. Maybe Kimblee knew what they were thinking because he said:

"He'd be a good witness."

Carra looked back at the man, expecting his eyes to be on them. But his golden eyes were on Naminé. It was then that she realized what his motives were. "If you say so, Mr. Kimblee."

Kimblee looked at Carra. Somehow, gullibility had skipped her and had gone to her brother. Shaking his head, he headed for the door. This was going to be a long night. "If Naminé wakes up, tell her I just stepped to handle some military business."

"Mr. Kimblee is nice, isn't he?" Noah said after he left the room.

"He can when he wants to be."

Noah and Carra looked at Naminé, surprised to hear her voice. They rushed toward her bedside. She looked a little weary but otherwise fine. "How are you feeling?" Carra asked.

Naminé gave them a tiny smile. "I'm okay, thanks." For the most part anyway. Her mind was still on Kimblee and what she had seen. She could now say what he was capable of doing to another person. After all she had seen it with her own two eyes. He was relentless, cruel even, that maybe he didn't value human life at all. Yet, she was relieved she could say what was redeeming about him. That maybe he was kind and that maybe he even cared about someone else besides himself. She needed to.

**A/N: The next chapter will either be romance-driven, drama-driven, or sexual-tension-drive. Or some combination. Depends. Anyway, thanks to Xx-Hell-in-my-HeadxX, thegriffin88, BlackRose, and kimmieKIMBLEE for reviewing. You people are awesome. Till later.**


	21. Chapter 21: A Trip Back Home

**A/N: This chapter practically wrote itself. Hence the quick update. Enjoy. :)**

**CHAPTER 21—A Trip Back Home:**

"What do you think the Colonel wants?" Naminé asked as they headed to the Basque Gram's office.

Kimblee shrugged. "Maybe he has another assignment."

It had been two weeks since they had left Milridge. While Naminé had spent a good portion of that time at Central City Hospital, Kimblee had to work overtime to complete her share of the paperwork. Still he made an effort to visit her after work every afternoon.

Sometimes he would run into Mel and Vi. Vi practically rolled her eyes every time she saw him in the hallway but Mel teased him about his 'dedication to Naminé'. Even though he didn't know what he would call it, he sure as hell wouldn't call it 'dedication'. The reason he went was to not only check up on her but to see if everything was fine between them.

Naminé had seen why people called him the mad bomber and Kimblee wondered if that had changed how she saw him. Sure, she had told him to go ahead that day, that she didn't even care. But when it had all been over, she hadn't been able to look at him and since he had spent all night looking for those kids' father – who he did fine, weak but alive – the military picked her up before he came back. So the first hospital visit had been necessary. He had went in and found her in her hospital room, reading a book. From the moment she had looked at him and smiled, he knew that maybe everything would be okay between them.

The hospital visits afterward... Partially to make sure she wasn't pretending that everything was fine and partially because he missed her at work. During these visits, they mostly talked and joked around for a bit. She had even shared with him the letter she had gotten from Romberg at one point, filling him in on how the war was going. So maybe, for the most part, she didn't hate him. The next question was why he cared so much?

"I hope not," Naminé said. "I would rather go back to paperwork."

"Surprisingly that's a good idea."

They reached Gran's office and stepped inside. The colonel was sitting at his desk, sifting through papers. Among them, from what they could tell, was the Milridge Gold Operation report that Kimblee had handed in a few days back. Apparently the colonel hadn't had time to read through it yet. Gran stopped what he was doing and looked up at them. The two state alchemists saluted him.

"At ease," he told them. Before he even began, Naminé spoke up.

"I think we deserve a break from assignments, sir."

Gran stared at the woman. "You think you do, soldier? Hmph." Gran stood up from behind his desk and walked around it, as if he wanted to use his intimidating size against her. That how Naminé felt anyway and it took a bit of effort not to step back. "Lucky for you, soldier, there will be no more assignments for the remainder of this week. The military can't afford to have either of you suffering long-sustaining injuries." Gran paused for a moment then continued. "At the end of this week, we, along with other state alchemists, will go to East City. There the Fuhrer will brief us on what we must do in Ishbal."

Naminé's eyes widened. They were going to Ishbal? There was a sickening feeling in the pit of her stomach. The more she thought about, the more she hated the idea. It was obvious why they were being sent in. Fuhrer King Bradley wanted a quick, efficient end to the war and the state alchemists would be his human weapons of mass destruction.

* * *

"Is it wrong to _not_ want to go?"

Naminé and Kimblee were back in their office, a room too big for just the two of them. Two out of the four desks in the room were empty, a constant reminder that Isabelle and Romberg were gone.

"We don't have much of a choice," Kimblee said. "We're dogs of the state, remember?"

"So you're okay with this?"

"It's what I signed up for."

Naminé sighed and sat down on her desk. That was not what she wanted to hear. She was hoping he would tell her what her options were. But nope. He couldn't offer even one. _I really have no choice, do I? _She sighed. "At least Gran gave us the rest of the week off." She glanced at Kimblee. He was looking over the last few pieces of paperwork they had left. "...Maybe I'll go my hometown tomorrow." Kimblee looked up and she shrugged. "I haven't been there in a long time and I would hate not seeing Kaili before I go."

"Where's home exactly?"

"About two miles outside of Bellaruse," she replied.

"That's about five hours away from here, isn't it?

Naminé nodded. "Have you been there?"

"No. I haven't."

"Want to go?"

Kimblee stared at her. "You want me to come with you tomorrow?" Naminé had asked him strange things in the past but this was the weirdest one. He had never imagined that she would want to bring him home, nonetheless to her mother.

"If you don't have anything else planned, I would like your company."

She would like _his _company? He studied her face, trying to see if there was something missing in this picture. If there was something missing, he couldn't tell. After a while, he shrugged. "Sure, why not?"

* * *

The two alchemists caught the southbound train early morning and got to Bellaruse after eleven o'clock. The train stopped just outside of the city. Outside the station, Kimblee could see the tall buildings and the cars that drove by on the surprisingly busy roads. Since today was sunny, everyone was outside, adding to the city-like atmosphere. It was like South City but on a much smaller scale.

"So this is Bellaruse," Kimblee said out loud.

"I used to live in the heart of it," Naminé told him. "But after my father died, my mom decided a change would be good. Ready to go?" Kimblee nodded and Naminé led him down a dirt road not too far from the station. The scenery was plain from here on out. It was mostly high grass and maybe an occasional tree. The first thing that signaled human life was a thriving corn field that loomed in the distance.

"You moved to a farm," Kimblee stated, trying so hard to imagine a younger Naminé herding sheep and milking cows. It was not working.

Naminé laughed. "Actually, a childhood friend of mine, Bryson, lives here. I met him through Vi and Mel when I was little." Her blue eyes looked at the corn field fondly. "We used to run through here all the time."

"So," Kimblee started, "was this Bryson one of your many boyfriends or something?"

Naminé blushed. "No and just so you know, I only had one boyfriend before Thad. Although," she added with a smile, "at one point, me, Vi, and Mel all had a crush on him." Kimblee raised an eyebrow but didn't comment. Naminé shrugged in response.

That had been an interesting affair. Bryson was two years older and had a dark blue pickup truck. Maybe that was part of the reason why all three girls had been attracted to him. That and the fact he became good looking with age. So it was inevitable that they would all try to impress him, sometimes doing things they wouldn't normally do. At the end of their 'competition', Bryson had asked Vi on a date.

Naminé slowed down her pace a bit, placing one foot in front of the other. "If I'm boring you, let me know."

"No. You're not."

The corn field turned into a cabbage field. Beyond that, other kinds of vegetables were grown. Eventually, the crops came to an end. A white house was not that far off. "That's where Bryson lives and right across from there," she said, turning around and looking at a pale blue house, "is Vi's home. Down the street is where Mel lives. It's the big gray one."

"And your home?"

"We still got a mile to go," she replied sheepishly. Kimblee didn't say anything but she could tell he wasn't happy about that. She grabbed his arm and leaned into him almost in a flirtatious manner. Kimblee gave her a confused look but she smiled at him. "A mile is nothing. If it makes you feel better, I'll tell you an embarrassing story."

Kimblee listened to Naminé talk about herself and her friends, about the crazy stuff they used to do or were dragged into. The reminiscing was putting Naminé in a good mood. She was all smiles and her blue eyes were bright. If they were going to war soon, she needed to enjoy her last few days.

He casually looked up and spotted a large house on top of the upcoming hill. "Is that where you live?"

Naminé looked at it and spotted her mom's black car parked nearby. "Used to live," she corrected him. They reached the front door and Naminé pressed the doorbell. A moment passed. Then the entrance hall curtain moved before quickly going back in place. Naminé shifted her feet. _I hope it's not my mother._ Finally the front door swung open.

"Naminé!" Kaili exclaimed, tacking her older sister around the middle. "You're home!"

* * *

Naminé and Kimblee followed the bouncing nine-year-old pass into the large entrance hall. It had a staircase on each side of the room, which led to the 'balcony' of the second floor. The floor was white tiled and very cleaned. The entrance hall was empty except for a black grand piano perched in the corner on top of a red carpet and a few paintings hanged on the walls. Naminé definitely swore that piano had never been there; it had to be new. It made her wonder what else had changed in the house.

"Mommy's sleeping," Kaili said. "She hasn't been feeling too good lately."

"I see." Naminé had an urge to see how bad her mother's condition. However that would just lead to a confrontation she had been hoping to avoid.

Kaili went over to the grand piano and plopped down on the piano bench. She pushed the piano cover back, revealing the shiny vanilla keys underneath.

"You know how to play, kid?" Kimblee asked.

The little girl nodded, her dirty blonde pigtails bobbing up and down. "I've been getting lessons!" She turned toward her sister. "You know that duet people always play? The very easy one?"

"Yeah."

"Can you play it with me?" Naminé nodded her head. Kaili happily scooted over on the large bench and Naminé sat down to her right. The little girl started to play first. Then Naminé came in. At first Kaili's eyebrows furrowed, then she pouted. Finally she said, "You're playing it wrong."

Kimblee laughed and Naminé gave him a dirty look. "Why don't you give it a try?" Naminé challenged.

Kimblee was happy to accept. "Scoot over, babe." Naminé moved out of his way, leaving some room between her and Kaili. The Crimson Alchemist sat down and then Kaili started over again. A moment or so later, he joined in.

Kaili frowned at first. Then she beamed. "You're so much better than Naminé!" She looked at her sister, who was watching Kimblee in amazement. Apparently her sister had thought Kimblee had no piano skills whatsoever. Well, she was proven wrong. "Naminé, why aren't you dating Mr. Kimblee?"

Kimblee played the wrong note. Naminé would have pointed that out but she was too horrified by her sister's question. "Why?" She almost choked out. "Because Kimblee can play one song?"

"Well Thad obviously isn't doing his job."

"What?"

"When two people are in a relationship, they are supposed to teach each other," Kaili pointed out.

Naminé was momentarily speechless. She was sure that the better phrase was 'they are supposed to learn from one another' but she was not going to correct a nine-year-old about relationship advice. Especially since Kimblee found this far too amusing. "How are you so sure Thad can't play the same song?" Naminé asked.

"Because you can't play. I'm sure if you dated Mr. Kimblee, I'm sure he'll teach you."

Kimblee grinned, barely holding back a laugh. The look on Naminé's face was priceless. "Kaili's right, babe," he said, feeling her blue eyes on him. "I could teach you that and a whole lot more."

"See?" Kaili said, as if her point was proven. "Mr. Kimblee is willing to teach you a lot of stuff!"

Naminé's face heated up. She knew exactly what Kimblee had been hinting at. Fortunately, that perverse comment sounded innocent to Kaili's little ears. Still, that didn't lessen the feeling of smacking Kimblee. "Kaili, Thad can play the song."

"How would I know? You never brought him here."

Kimblee raised his eyebrows. _Romberg has never been to her hometown before. That's something, considering I'm here._

"I'll bring him here once we come back from Ishbal," Naminé said.

A worried look came over Kaili's features. "...We?"

Naminé blinked before she realized what she had said. She had wanted to tell Kaili that she had to go but she was hoping it would be more tactful. In fact, she was hoping Kaili wouldn't freak out. But she had caught the slight tremble in the little girl's voice. She sighed.

"Excuse me, ladies," Kimblee said as he stood up. He moved to the other side of the room, leaving the two sisters alone by the piano. He pretended he was interested in a painting on the wall, turning his back on the two.

"What do you mean by 'we'?" Kaili asked.

Naminé faced her sister. "The Fuhrer ordered State Alchemists to go to Ishbal. I'm leaving at the end of this week."

"You can't go."

"I have to."

"Why? Why do you have to go?"

"Kaili, please calm down." Naminé briefly glanced upstairs. No sign of her mother. But if Kaili kept screaming like this, she might just make an appearance. She looked back at her sister. Kaili's hazel eyes were brimmed with tears, threatening to fall at any given moment. It was heartbreaking. Naminé was surprised that she could still look her sister in the eye.

"You can die!"

"I'll be fine."

"You'll kill people!"

"I won't."

"But you will, won't you?" Kaili insisted. "That's what they want you to do! What if you kill Vi's family by mistake?"

Kimblee's ears perked up.

"I won't," Naminé said.

"But, but-!"

Naminé wrapped her arms tightly around Kaili and the girl started crying. She closed her eyes, trying to reassure herself that everything would go okay in Ishbal. That she would come back, that Thad would come back, that Kimblee would come back, that everyone she could possibly care about would come back. She opened her eyes and to her surprise, her vision was blurry. She sighed. "I promise, Kaili. You'll see me again."

* * *

Kimblee and Naminé left about an hour later. Kaili stood by the front door, waving goodbye. The little girl looked sad but tears were absent. Naminé was glad; she would have hated to leave her sister upset and crying. Without a doubt, her mother would hear about the news. Kaili was bound to say something. Maybe her mother would give a call, maybe not. Naminé wasn't sure if she even wanted that call.

As the two alchemists walked down the dirt road toward the train station, Naminé looked at the blue skies overhead. It was nice to see something bright and cheery. She needed it.

"You're okay, babe?"

"I'm fine," she replied. "I just have to tell Vi and Mel about this. Somehow."

Kimblee nodded. _So Vi has Ishbalan blood_, he thought. He was surprised that he didn't catch on. Despite how dark or cloudy some days were, Vi would always wear sunglasses. He thought maybe she had sensitive eyes or something. But now he realized that it was because her eyes were red and she was hiding that fact from the world.

"Kimblee?"

"Yeah?"

"What are your parents like?" Kimblee raised an eyebrow at Naminé. The woman quickly explained herself. "Well, you found out a lot about me today. Sure I blabbed the whoe way here but I would like to know something about you. But I'll understand if you don't want to say anything."

Kimblee didn't completely understand why Naminé cared so much. He couldn't remember the last time someone had cared enough to ask. People took him at face-value: a guy who knew how to blow stuff up and did his job well. "They split up when I was young," he said with a shrug. He looked down at Naminé and saw a sad look in her eyes. "It's not that big of a deal."

"For most people, it would be," she said.

"Not for me, babe," Kimblee said nonchalantly. "My parents weren't very affectionate so I wasn't missing much. I ended up living with my mom. Nothing much to say about her except she drank a lot and was usually passed out somewhere in the house. Can't say much about my dad either; I only saw him and his new family once a year, sometimes more if my mom needed a break from me."

Suddenly Kimblee's face lit up as he grinned. "The only good thing that came from visiting my dad was that every time I was there, he lit up a few fireworks he had saved over the year. I guess it inspired me to create a few of my own."

"Really?" Naminé asked. "Because I don't see the connection. Fireworks are supposed to beautiful. What you do is a completely different story."

"One day I caught a frog. At first I thought about letting it go. I mean, there's not much you can do with them. But then I saw a firework in the shed and thought, why not. So I tied the frog to the thing, lit it up, and let it go." Kimblee saw Naminé's horrified face and laughed. "I was joking. Half joking anyway – it was my half-brother who did that. But it was fun to watch!"

"You're so awful!" Naminé exclaimed.

Kimblee wrapped an arm around her shoulders and smiled. "Relax, babe. It was stupid frog." Naminé looked into his eyes. He half-expected her to make a comment that she disagreed but she didn't. She just looked at him. "What?"

She tilted her head to the side. "You should smile more often. I kinda like it."

He watched as a blush rose to her cheeks. She probably thought her statement had been somewhat flirtatious because she started to explain what she meant by it. But he hardly listened to her. He was trying to understand why the hell his own face was heating up. He said something in a low voice, stopping Naminé in midsentence.

"Huh?" She didn't think she heard right.

"I said you look cute when you're flustered."

"Cute?"

"What do you want me to say? That you're beautiful and I never wanted a woman this badly before?"

Naminé stopped walking. Stepping out from under Kimblee's arm, she faced him. He was back to his usual smirk. However, his eyes appeared to be contradicting the casual way he was acting. She didn't know why but ideas of what he could have meant had her heart pounding. She wanted to believe that that was what he thought about her, honestly and truly. Common sense, on the other hand, insisted that he was messing with her head again.

"No," she finally replied. "If I said yes to you, Kimblee, this conversation would become inappropriate."

"Romberg, right?"

"Yeah." It was bad enough Kaili had a conversation about how she should date Kimblee. She didn't need to dwell on it. She turned around and started walking down the road again. "Come on. We should hurry before we miss our train. I don't want to be stuck here another hour."

"Whatever you say, babe."

**A/N: Next chapter should be interesting considering it focuses on Naminé's and Kimblee's last night in South City. As of the moment, I know things happen but I don't know what things. Anyway, thanks to thegriffin88, AxillaryFlame, and BlackRose for reviewing. I really appreciate it. :) Till later.**


	22. Chapter 22: Fireworks

**A/N: This chapter came out longer than I had expected. Hence it took a bit longer for me to put up. Still, averaging about one update per week is pretty good for me when you consider how sporadic my updates were at one point. Anyway, enjoy.**

**CHAPTER 22-Fireworks:**

From the moment the words left Naminé's mouth, Mel knew it would be trouble.

"You're going?" Vi yelled.

What had started out as a fun outing between friends had taken a sudden turn. The food platter they had bought and had been sharing sat in the middle of the table forgotten about. Mel looked between a serious Naminé and for once, a not-so-collected Vi. What made the situation worse was that they were in their usual food spot and today was crowded. Everyone had heard Vi's outburst and was now staring at the standing woman.

Mel understood where Vi was coming from. Naminé had just decided to tell them that she was going to Ishbal tomorrow and Mel wasn't particularly thrilled about the news either. Naminé could get killed out there if she wasn't careful. She could get killed even if she was careful. Vi had erupted because of what this war was to her – a senseless killing spree organized by the Amestrian military against the innocent people of her heritage. To top it all off, Naminé announced that she was pretty much going to be one of those killers.

Maybe Naminé should have told them minutes before she left for East City. Like give them a courtesy call tomorrow morning and tell them she would at Ishbal for the next several days. Tonight, they had planned to go to the annual festival in South City. But, based on the look on Vi's face, Mel was certain that plan was out the window.

"Vi, please," Mel said, tugging on the woman's arm to sit back down. "People are looking at us like we're crazy."

"One of us is," Vi said, glaring at Naminé from behind her shades. "Do you know what they want you to do?"

"Of course I do," Naminé said quietly. Her blue eyes didn't leave her friend's face. "I'm just doing my job as a State Alchemist."

"Your job as a State Alchemist?" Vi repeated. "Somewhere in your job description says, 'Be thou for the people,' right? Or am I making that up? Did I miss the part where Ishbalans aren't part of those 'people'?"

It had taken Naminé over 24 hours since her visit home to convince herself that this was what she had to do and that she had no choice. Now Vi was chipping away at her resolve. The alchemist bit the inside of her cheek, thinking of what to say. "Seven years is a long time. Lots of people are dying. It has to end and the Fuhrer believes that we are the fastest way to end it."

"By killing tons of innocent people?"

"Most likely not."

"Most likely not, huh?"

Naminé had told Kaili she wouldn't kill anyone. But part of her convincing process had involved admitting that she just might have to at some point. She hoped not to kill the innocent, just the rebels who meant to kill her. However, no one knew exactly what the Fuhrer intended for the State Alchemists. Maybe it would be the extermination campaign she had heard rumors about.

"Vi," Mel said. "Calm down."

Vi shook her head in disappointment. She was still fuming but it seemed that she was done talking about this. "Enjoy Ishbal. Become the murderer you signed up to be." The corner of Naminé's mouth twitched but the brunette didn't say a word. Vi left the café, eyes following her on her way out.

"Am I that awful for going?" Naminé said.

"Depends who you ask," Mel said, getting up to. "I'm going to talk to her and try to calm her down a bit. Sorry to ditch you like this."

"It's okay. I understand."

"So I guess we're not going to the festival tonight as a group?"

"I probably won't go," Naminé said. "But you should convince Vi to still go with you. You two should still have fun."

"What are you going to do? It's your last night."

"I'll think of something."

* * *

What she ended up doing was not something she had thought hours prior. Problem was, she really wanted to enjoy her last night in South City, live it up a little before she was pushed into a war she rather not fight. So she was going to go to the festival and enjoy the activities there. She just didn't want to go alone. That was why she was looking at Kimblee's phone number in her phone book. She knew this was going to be awkward. After all, they had never talked over the phone before. Taking deep breath, she dialed his number. His phone rang once, twice, then—

"Hello?"

She took in a deep breath. "Is this Kimblee?"

"Yeah... Is that you, babe?"

"Assuming you don't call anyone else that, it is."

"Trust me. No one but you."

Naminé smiled on her side of the phone and started to twirl the phone cord between her fingers. No one but her. And he probably meant that too. _You have a boyfriend_, a little voice reminded her in her mind. "Are you doing anything tonight?"

"Not really. Why?"

"Well," she started, trying to make this sound like a casual outing. "South City is having its annual festival. There will be fireworks and since you like them so much, I was wondering if you wanted to go."

"What time?"

"You want to go?" Naminé had expected Kimblee to beat around the bush, maybe suggest he wasn't interested in going. Him saying 'yes' so easily was a little bit... weird? She couldn't find an accurate word to describe it.

"It's not like I have anything else to do."

_I'll take that as his reason_. "Around eight," she said. "Just to let you know, we're going to be alone. Vi and Mel would have been there but lunch ended badly and Vi is pissed at me."

"That's fine. I don't mind it being just the two of us."

Naminé sighed out of relief. She could go to the festival and not be alone. Although she wouldn't be hanging out with her best friends, she could still make the most of her last night before Ishbal. "I'll pick you up at eight then, Kimblee."

She heard a light chuckle. "This is probably the first time a woman is picking me up."

She grinned. "You should feel special then."

* * *

Naminé told herself that this was not a date but a casual outing with a friend. However, that didn't stop her from wasting two hours finding the perfect outfit and then running late to Kimblee's place. She had settled for an off-shoulders, long sleeves top; a short skirt; and high heel shoes. She pulled her auburn hair back into a ponytail, exposing her neck. When she had realized how dressed up she was becoming, she decided lip gloss was all she needed under the makeup department. Lipstick, mascara, and eyeshadow, maybe even blush, would give him the wrong idea.

When she had arrived to pick up Kimblee, he was outside his apartment building waiting for her. He was dressed simple – a dark button-down shirt with black slacks. However, he stilled looked nice. She was wondering if she might have just over done it. His eyes wandered up and down her body before he said, "It might be out of line for me to say this, but you look amazing tonight."

Naminé almost managed to suppress her smile. Obviously she was flattered. "A little, yes, but thanks nonetheless."

They went into the heart of South City, where it was jam-packed with people. A lot of games with prizes had been set up along with stands, a stage where a band was currently playing, and lots of festive lights. Kimblee walked through the crowd as if he wasn't too impressed but Naminé clearly was.

"This is so incredible," she told him. Her expression softened a bit. "I wonder if Vi and Mel are here. I wonder if Vi's still angry."

"Why is she angry at you?" Kimblee asked.

"I told her that I was going to Ishbal," Naminé told him.

"I see." Now that he knew Vi had Ishbalan blood, her anger was practically expected. He looked around and spotted an open bar. "Do you mind if we go over there for a bit?" He asked, nodding toward the bar.

"Not at all."

Kimblee and Naminé took seats at the bar and the bartender came over. The bartender was a young woman, somewhere in her twenties, with dark hair and brown eyes. She briefly glanced at Naminé before looking at Kimblee with a smile. Naminé saw the look in the woman's eyes and she knew that without a doubt, the bartender was attracted to Kimblee.

"How may I help you?" The bartender asked, leaning across the counter and meeting the Crimson Alchemist's eyes.

Kimblee smoothly smiled back. "One Bald Mountain beer." He looked at Naminé. "Do you want anything?"

"I'm alright."

Kimblee looked back at the bartender. "That's all."

The bartender smiled. "I'll be back in a minute."

Watching the bartender flirt away with Kimblee made her feel a bit jealous. She knew Kimblee wasn't her boyfriend. She had one, a good one she could say. But something about the situation irked her. Maybe it was because Kimblee's eyes could wander and it wouldn't be wrong, despite how he complimented her and treated her differently than he would most women. He wouldn't be cheating on her.

It was strange how mind thought about cheating every now and then. All the eleven months Thad had been with her as her boyfriend, cheating had been the farthest thing from her mind. Then again, when Thad had been around, he used to say he felt uneasy when she talked to other men, especially Kimblee. It was part of the reason a wedge had formed between the two alchemists. To put Thad's mind at ease, she just hadn't allowed herself to talk to Kimblee too often. But the moment Romberg had left... No. She couldn't say the moment right after. She had felt so uncomfortable around Kimblee in the beginning. This problem had started with the Milridge Gold Operation.

It was never explicitly thoughts about cheating on Thad. It was more like thoughts that could be linked to cheating. Like when she had briefly admired Kimblee without his shirt on or when Kimblee had made a few possibly flirtatious comments that she had responded to. She had listed it as boyfriend withdrawal. Although feeling jealousy toward another woman who was talking to a man who was not her boyfriend should not be one of the symptoms.

"Here's your beer," the bartender said, holding the sweating drink out to him. "I have to attend other customers. Hopefully they won't keep me too busy." With a wink, she walked off to serve another customer.

"So you don't drink?" Kimblee asked before drinking some of his beer.

"I never bothered," Naminé replied.

"Not even once?"

"Not even," she told him with a grin. "Maybe I should try one, you know, in case I never get the chance to."

"Should I call the bartender for you?" He asked.

The woman shook her head. "I'll just take a taste of yours."

"It's ten percent."

"I think I'll manage, Kimblee."

He passed the drink to her, wondering if she would actually drink it. He had drunk directly from the bottle. Maybe she would hold it far from her soft lips and try to pour it down her throat that way. She seemed to be thinking the same thing; she kept looking at it like she wasn't sure about it.

"It doesn't smell that great," she observed.

"It's more about the taste, babe."

She gave him a look, as if she didn't believe him, before she brought the bottle to her lips and took a few large gulps. She put the bottle down and gave it a funny look. "It's more of an acquired taste, isn't it?"

"Pretty much." She raised the bottle to her lips again but Kimblee quickly took it out of her hands. "I'm not getting you drunk tonight," he told her. His eyes examined her and added as an afterthought, "It probably wouldn't take much either."

"How are you so sure?" Naminé asked, sounding somewhat offended. "Just because I never drank before?"

"That, and the fact that you're a woman." Naminé playfully hit him in the arm and Kimblee grinned as he finished the rest of his beer. After all this time, he still wanted her. He had thought eleven months of watching Romberg and Naminé acting ridiculous for one another would be enough to make him forget. And it had. For a while anyway, when it seemed that Naminé was truly happy with her choice. And when Romberg said he wanted to propose to her, he thought that had pretty much solidified things. But then he wondered if Naminé was really ready to settle down as much as Romberg. Because with everything that had happened during the last month and a half...

He looked at her again and with a smirk, she raised her eyebrows. "You want another beer?" She asked.

He shook his head. "One is good for now."

The bartender came back when she saw that Kimblee and Naminé were getting up. Her brown eyes were on Kimblee as she held out a piece of paper to him. "This is for you."

Kimblee looked and saw it was a phone number. He smirked. "Maybe you should hold on to that." The bartender looked stunned at his answer. So did Naminé, although she was hiding it better. "Thanks for your services, though."

"Sure," the bartender said, clearly not pleased as she watched him walk off with the brunette.

"'Thanks for your services?'" Naminé repeated, hoping Kimblee realized how strange that sounded.

He shrugged. "I can be a gentleman when the situation calls for it."

"Right." She smiled. Her eyes wandered for a bit before landing on a game booth surrounded by a decent sized crowd. The game looked fairly simplistic. You pay for five rings and try to get as many rings around any of the bottles lined up in rows and columns. The more rings that fell around the bottles, the better the prize would be. Naminé wasn't sure if she could win something but Kimblee might be able to. "Want to go check it out?" She asked and nodded at the booth.

Kimblee looked at it. "Sure."

They got closer to the crowd when Naminé stopped. Kimblee saw why. Vi was playing with Mel cheering on at her side. The Crimson Alchemist looked down at Naminé, wondering if she wanted to head over still. But Naminé didn't have time to make up her mind – Mel had turned around and spotted them. Mel gave them a sly smile before heading over. Vi briefly looked at them but she went back to finishing what she was doing.

"Well, well, well," Mel said, her green eyes going back and forth between the two alchemists. "Should I be surprised that you came, Naminé, or that's Kimblee's with you? Is there something you should tell me?"

"I drank some beer," Naminé said.

"You tasted," Kimblee corrected.

"At least you're still sober," Mel said, glancing at Vi. The man was handing her a giant stuff animal. "Vi would have something to complain about if you weren't."

"She's still mad at me, isn't she?" Naminé asked.

"I think she was getting over it. Then she saw Kimblee."

"She really hates me, doesn't she?" Kimblee asked, clearly amused.

Vi came over, clutching her prize. "Something like that." She looked at Naminé for a while and then she looked back at Kimblee. Her outward demeanor was calm but she was raging in the inside. _Really? Kimblee?_ It was as if the world had decided to stop making sense. Was Naminé and Kimblee that close? _Well, that would explain why Naminé is so eager to go. Kimblee must have rubbed off on her._

"You're still mad, aren't you?"

Vi looked at Naminé and chewed the inside of her cheek, wondering if that question was worth answering. So, instead, she shot back with one of her own. "Are you still going tomorrow?" Naminé gave a small, hesitant nod and Vi looked away. "Then my answer is 'yes'."

"You're not looking at this war objectively," Kimblee told Vi.

Vi instantly turned to look at him. "Excuse me?"

"You're letting your personal ties affect your thinking."

"And what personal ties would that be?" Vi wanted to fold her arms but at the moment they were occupied with the stuff animal. So she settled for her eyebrows and mouth displaying how ridiculous she found his comment to be.

Kimblee smirked. "Whatever you're hiding behind those shades."

Vi seemed momentarily speechless. Then she looked at Naminé. "You _told_ him?"

"I didn't," she said slowly. "Someone sort of mentioned it when we went to Bellaruse."

Vi looked upward at the night sky for a moment. _She's lying,_ she thought. She wasn't foolish. Just seeing Naminé with Kimblee spoke volumes that there was something going on. She had found it odd that Kimblee visited Naminé during her hospitalization as much as he did. She had just written it off as him feeling guilty about... She looked back down and focused on her attention on Kimblee.

"Speaking of mentioning things, Naminé did 'mention' what happened in Milridge a couple of weeks ago," Vi said.

"She did, huh?"

"Yeah," Vi said. "She also mentioned how she couldn't look at you. Do you know why?" She awkwardly held her prize in one hand and then prodded him in the chest with her finger. When she saw that he didn't appreciate that, she continued to jab. "She saw you exactly for what you are, a freaking mo-!" Kimblee grabbed her hand and Vi paused. She half expected to see anger in his eyes but they seemed almost devoid of emotion. "...You're going to blow me up now?"

Kimblee smirked but it seemed so far removed from the situation. "That's an interesting idea. Maybe I should."

Naminé grabbed Kimblee's other hand by the wrist. "Kimblee, let go of Vi. Please."

Without much hesitation, Kimblee let go. Vi immediately took a step back. If her wrist hurt, the woman was doing a good job of not showing it.

Naminé sighed out of relief, glad that one disaster was avoided for the moment. "Thanks, Kimblee."

The Crimson Alchemist shrugged, his golden eyes still on Vi. "I can wait till Ishbal, babe."

Vi's mouth dropped open.

"Okay," Mel said. Before Vi could attack, Mel had her friend by the arm. Vi tried to get away but Mel still held on. "Naminé, have a wonderful evening and hopefully I'll catch you at the train station tomorrow." Vi stopped trying to get free but Mel was not letting go anytime soon. Not until they were a good distance from the Crimson Alchemist. "Bye, Naminé."

When her two friends disappear, Naminé faced Kimblee. "Really, Kimblee? You couldn't stop?"

Kimblee didn't say anything. Not at first anyway. But after a moment, he looked away from her and focused on something in the distance. "You're such an easy person to read, babe. So easy that Vi's comments were unnecessary. I picked that up when it was over. But to be honest," he added with a smirk, "I wouldn't have come up with 'monster.' I would have thought 'psycho,' 'madman,' or even 'crazy person.' But I suppose 'monster' works too."

Naminé bit her bottom lip. "...Does that bother you?"

"You're funny, babe. Why would it?"

"Look, I'm sorry, Kimblee," she said, feeling that she might as well apologize in case it did offend him. "At the time, I've never seen that side of you before. So it came as a shock, you know. Maybe it wasn't entirely shocking but um..." The more she talked, the less she wished that she would say. She wasn't making any sense and she knew it. She got to the point. "But you can be good when you want to be. You _have_ been."

"How are you sure I'm not just fooling you?"

Naminé reached up and held his face in her hands, making him look at her. Their eyes met and her heartbeat picked up. "If that were the case, you would have blown me up by now."

Kimblee took hold of her hands and gently removed them. Naminé was trying to be calm and strong but he could see that she was slightly nervous. "And how do you know that every fiber of my being does _not_ want to blow you up?"

"I'm not denying that," Naminé said slowly. "You say I'm beautiful so I figured I would be one of your more beautiful explosions." Maybe that was slightly conceited but it wasn't like he hadn't called her beautiful before. Maybe it was more conceited saying that she would be one of his beautiful explosions, though there was a slight ring of insanity to the idea. "But like I said, you never turned me into a bomb so there you go."

Kimblee leaned in close and just for a moment, it seemed that he was going to kiss her. However, at the last second, he moved to the side of her face and brushed his lips against her ear. "And that's where you're wrong, Naminé."

Naminé gulped at the way he whispered her name into her ear. His voice had been so husky that it had sent shivers down her spine. Her face was now bright red and she wondered how this looked to the people passing by. Sure they weren't in the middle of the crowd but they weren't out of sight either. "How am I wrong?"

"You have the potential to be the most beautiful bomb I can ever make," Kimblee told her. "But I would never turn you into one. You see," he continued, moving away from her ear and down to her exposed neck, thankful that her hair was in a ponytail tonight, "your body deserves to undergo a different sort of explosion, one that will rock you to your core."

When Kimblee pressed his lips to her neck, Naminé heard a weird whistling sound followed by a crack. It wasn't until she heard it a second time that she realized that the fireworks had started.

* * *

Last night was, last night was... too many things that shouldn't have happened. Naminé had been hoping that she and Vi would make up. However, Vi only seemed to be angrier than when she had stormed off from the café yesterday afternoon. Rightly so, considering what Kimblee had told her. Her relationship with Kimblee possibly had crossed a line that it shouldn't have. She was still debating if letting him kiss her neck for about a minute counted as crossing that line. Though a little voice in her head was reminding her that if she had to question it, chances were that it did. At least Mel was still normal in all this.

Naminé got to the train station at around eight-forty-five in the morning, carrying one piece of luggage in one hand and her train ticket in the other. She was wearing civilian clothing; Gran said that they all should because they didn't need to stand out. She was wearing beige pants, a pink blouse, and a floral scarf around her neck. The scarf wasn't her favorite thing in the world but it would do for now.

Her luggage was taken from her and she headed to the train area, searching for the one heading to East City. Supposedly, the colonel and Kimblee would be waiting outside it for her.

"Naminé!"

The Lightning Alchemist turned around and saw Mel running to her, Vi not that far behind.

Mel, upon reaching her first, hugged her friend tightly. She pulled away with a warm smile. "I see you toned it down from last night," she said with a smirk. "I like your scarf by the way."

"Thanks," Naminé said, glancing at Vi. Already, she could feel the awkwardness in the air.

Vi came a little closer and directed her gaze at the ground. "I'm sorry," she started. "About yesterday. Even if you did tell Kimblee about my lineage, I still don't have the right to blab like that about our private conversations. And, um, I would really hate to have you leave and we're on the wrong foot. It's your decision and even if I don't like it, I shouldn't-!" Naminé embraced Vi mid-sentence and the half-Ishbalan was taken back. "I'm not done apologizing."

"I don't care," Naminé said, hugging Vi all the more. "I would hate for something to happen to you when I'm gone and we didn't get a chance to make up."

"Me?" Vi said. "You're the one who's going to war. I'll be attending classes and taking final exams. The most that will happen to me is that I'll get a few gray hairs."

Mel joined in on the hug by wrapping her arms around her two best friends. Vi and Naminé clumsily wrapped an arm around the redhead. "We'll miss you, Naminé," Mel said.

"Me, too."

"Promise us you'll come back," Mel said.

"I will."

Vi spoke up. "And promise me something?"

Naminé turned her head to look at Vi. "Sure, anything."

"Whatever you do in Ishbal or anyone else for that matter, please don't tell me. I know you might have to do things there that you won't have to do, I just don't want a confirmation of that."

Naminé nodded her head. "I promise."

The train's whistling was heard loud and clear. The three women separated. Naminé stood by herself while Vi and Mel stood together. They looked at each other. "Take care," Naminé said as she started to walk away.

"You, too."

Naminé started to head where Gran and Kimblee would be waiting. There was a heavy, uncomfortable feeling in the pit of her stomach as she thought about the situation. Was this what a military dog felt like? Following orders without knowing exactly all the details? That was pretty much the whole reason she was going; she didn't have a choice. But at least she would get to see Thad alive and well.

_If Thad ever finds out about Kimblee did, he'll kill me for sure, _she thought. It wasn't like she had started it but at the same time, she hadn't stopped it either and that was the problem. Which brought another question: would she tell him? She spotted Gran and Kimblee waiting outside the train just as they had said. _Time for the most awkward train ride of my life._

**A/N: Thanks to thegriffin88 and kasuki101 for reviewing. And to those who added this story to their favorites/alerts lists so far. Till next time. :)**


	23. Chapter 23: Not That Easy

**A/N: I was going to update last week but then I had to go to a barbecue on Sunday. Then life decided to play a joke and my internet was down. Toss in my job and the week was unproductive. Well here's the new chapter. I thought the state alchemists would be in Ishbal for this one but they won't be until Chapter 24. And in case anyone didn't notice, the rating has been bumped to M. Anyway, thanks to UnderTheHood, BlackRose, and XxDaydreamxSyndromexX for the reviews. Enjoy.**

**CHAPTER 23—Not That Easy:**

Sitting next to Kimblee was definitely worse than sitting across from him. At the beginning, that logic had seemed so infallible. However, now Naminé realized that sitting across from him was like forcing herself to look at him. Naminé had tried looking out the window but the shrubbery the train rushed by could only be interesting for so long.

Naminé turned away from the window and glanced at Kimblee again. For possibly the seventeenth time, their eyes met. And for the twelfth time, her face started to heat up. The woman quickly looked at Gran instead, who had taken the seat next to Kimblee. The colonel had been silent for the last several hours, hardly saying a word to them. Although she and Kimblee weren't doing much talking themselves. What they wanted to talk about wasn't exactly for the colonel's ears.

Gran looked at Naminé and she turned away, returning to the window. Gran gave a sweeping glance of his subordinates before getting out of his seat. "I'll be back shortly," he told them and left their compartment.

Kimblee looked at Naminé. "Are you mad at me?"

Naminé turned away from the window. "Why would you say that?"

"You're over there and I would rather have you sitting next to me than Gran."

"Should I be sitting next to you?"

Kimblee didn't answer. Instead, he got up and moved to the other side of the table, boxing Naminé between him and the window. His golden eyes quickly glanced over her before they settled on her scarf. He reached out and gently pulled the scarf down. He moved in a bit closer to get a better look. "It's not too bad." Near the base of her neck was a small dark bruise, his work without a doubt. He couldn't say he regretted leaving his mark but it probably had Naminé fuming. Kimblee passed his thumb over it and Naminé moved her neck in response. He caught her gaze.

"If Thad sees this-!"

"If you hide it well, he won't. Next time, I'll place one in a more discreet place." He pulled away and removed his hand, watching the blush inch across the woman's face. "Any ideas?"

Was that a serious question? Naminé saw Kimblee's tongue swiped his lips and she felt her mouth go dry. She had thought maybe her shoulders or near her clavicles but now her mind was entertaining ideas about his mouth a little down south. Subconsciously, she folded her arms across her chest. That one movement caused Kimblee's eyes to leave hers momentarily.

Naminé leaned in. "There won't be a next time."

"Really?" Kimblee leaned back into his seat, his eyes never leaving her. "That wasn't what I was getting from you last night." He remembered how her pulse had quickened under his lips, how her breath became short and shallow against his ear. He wondered if they had been in her apartment or even his, would things have been taken even further. It could still be a possibility now. Naminé seemed only resistant in words.

The compartment door opened. His two subordinates looked at the colonel, clearly surprised to see that he was back so soon. Gran saw the new seating arrangement but didn't comment. He just took his seat. Kimblee sat up straight and Naminé adjusted the scarf around her neck. The colonel studied the two for any signs of wrongdoing but they seemed a little embarrassed. About what, he wasn't sure.

"The train will make a stop in Central City for a few hours and then head to East City," he told them. "We will get there in the morning."

"That's great," Naminé said, her voice lacking enthusiasm.

Gran raised an eyebrow. "Thomson, are you prepared for what you might have to do in Ishbal?" Naminé looked up sharply. "The Fuhrer requested the three of us to go. I know what I'm capable of and I know what Crimson is capable of. But I don't know about you. In Ishbal, you will not walk away without blood on your hands. Are you prepared for that?"

Naminé looked down at the table. "I guess."

"You guess?" Naminé nodded. Gran thought about pointing out what was wrong with that, how that attitude could endanger her fellow comrades. But he didn't. This wasn't the place or the time to berate his soldier.

* * *

It was the next day. Naminé was tired; she couldn't sleep on the train last night. Every time she had started to dream, Gran's question manifested itself into a nightmare. She would jump start, look out the window, and see that they were nowhere near Ishbal. Kimblee and Gran were sleeping peacefully and she had envied them. She doubted that they had dreamt about killing people they haven't even met.

When they had finally reached the hotel in East City, Naminé was ready to just collapse. They went to the fifth floor, which the Fuhrer had reserved for all the state alchemists he had summoned.

While Gran and Kimblee went around seeing who else was here, Naminé hurried to her room. It was a single. The carpet was a deep red, rivaled only by the curtains hanging by each of the two windows. There was a small nightstand and on top of it was a light. In the center was the large bed, capable of holding at least three people. She passed the bathroom door, across the carpet floor, and fell onto the bed. She closed her eyes, praying that she wouldn't dream of killing small helpless children. Finally she drifted to sleep.

Hours later, there was pounding on her door. Naminé was hoping it was part of her dream but when it didn't stop, she opened her eyes. She dragged herself to the door and opened it. She saw it was Kimblee, already dressed in his military uniform. "What time is it?" She asked groggily.

"It's five," he replied. "An hour before our meeting with the Fuhrer."

Her eyes opened wide and she sprinted across the room to her luggage. She opened it and started to get her stuff. She pulled out her military uniform and tossed it on the bed. Her boots were thrown across the floor somewhere. "Did the other alchemists leave already?" She asked, trying to find her pocket watch.

"Yeah. I told them I would come get you and meet them later." Kimblee walked into the room and closed the door behind him. Naminé heard him come in but paid him no mind; she just wanted to leave as soon as possible.

She threw her pocket watch onto the bed and grabbed her uniform. "Excuse me," she said, walking passed Kimblee and into the bathroom, locking herself in. She untied the scarf around her neck and examined Kimblee's love bite. It looked better. It was smaller in size and a little lighter in color. Still, it was noticeable. Sighing, she thought about Kimblee's lips on her neck.

Naminé quickly got ready, switching out of her civilian clothes and into her military uniform. She emerged from the bathroom, trying to finish combing her hair. She eventually tossed the comb on her dresser and reached for her boots. "I'm surprised the colonel hasn't come by to kill me," she said as she put her boots on.

"He left before the rest of us did."

"What for?" Naminé stood up straight and looked at Kimblee.

"He's the only state alchemist here that is not a major," he told her. "If anything, he'd be in charge of us."

* * *

Basque Gran sat in the Fuhrer's temporary office. He knew that the other state alchemists, including his subordinates, were already in the conference room eating dinner. Or at least they should be. He felt his stomach growl a bit but he hoped that King Bradley didn't notice his slight grimace.

The room they were in must have belonged to someone else. It was a pretty decent size, full of books and had a few file cabinets stashed against the walls. The country flag hanged behind the desk the Fuhrer sat at. On that desk were a few pictures frames. Unfortunately, from where Gran was sitting, he couldn't see any of the photographs.

"I guess that's it, Colonel Gran," the Fuhrer said, smiling. "You will be in charge of the state alchemists in Ishbal. One more thing – one of Doctor Tim Marcoh's assistants will meet up with you in Ishbal to discuss something that might be of use to you and the other alchemists."

The colonel wondered what that could be but he didn't ask any questions. He figured he would know when the time came. However, he had a theory that this 'thing' could amplify alchemic abilities. After all, Bradley didn't say it was useful to ordinary soldiers. If so, it would have been given to them a long time ago. Gran was about to leave but then he stopped. He looked at the Fuhrer again. "Sir?"

"Yes, colonel?"

"I'm worried about one of my soldiers. I'm not sure if... he is capable of conducting himself in war."

"A lot of soldiers feel that way in the beginning," the Fuhrer told him. "Eventually they learn to grit their teeth and bear with it. But if this soldier becomes a problem, let me know and he will be dealt with."

* * *

When Naminé and Kimblee arrived to the conference room, it was already packed. Usually, the conference room had one oblong table in the middle of the room surrounded by at least ten chairs. However, since there was a good amount of people, two long tables had been set up with a smaller one near the front. Without a doubt, the smaller one was for the Fuhrer and most likely his right hand men. The only two available chairs were at two different tables.

"Want to take the one at Roy's table?" Kimblee whispered in her ear.

"Sure," Naminé said, not too crazy about the idea. "We should get dinner first."

The two went over to the where the food was. There wasn't a lot left but there was enough. Naminé took a little bit of everything on a plate and got some water to drink. She looked at Kimblee and saw that he was heading to the other table. _This is going to be great_, she thought. She slowly walked over to Roy's table and silently slid into a seat between two men. The conversation stopped and all the state alchemists looked at her. She looked down at her food. "Um, hi."

Roy smiled. "Nice to see you again, Naminé."

"Nice to see you, too."

Roy looked around at the others. "This is Naminé Thomson, the Lightning Alchemist."

It seemed that a little light bulb went off in everyone's head. It made Naminé feel a little bit better that Roy was helping but the awkwardness was still there. Without Kimblee by her side, there was no one she could fall back on. One of the state alchemists seemed like he was going to introduce himself. Before he got the chance to, however, the conference room doors opened. Everyone stared at the back of the room.

King Bradley walked into the room, followed by Basque Gran. They were of different statures, of different looks, but they had the same total respect from everyone in the room. They headed to the front of the room. Gran took a seat. Only the Fuhrer remained standing.

"I'm very glad that you were all able to make it," Bradley said, smiling. "You were all summoned here today because your alchemic abilities are well suited for the Ishbal War."

Kimblee silently ate his food, listening to the Fuhrer talk about the stuff that everyone already knew: that the Ishbalans were getting outside help, that the situation for the Amestrian Military was bleak at best. The Fuhrer continued with his grand introduction until he reached what he really wanted to talk about: Order 3066. It was the reason that they were sitting where they were now, whether they wanted to or not. And from Kimblee's perspective, a lot of them didn't.

"Your mission, men," Fuhrer Bradley continued, "Is to go in and eliminate all Ishbalans."

Kimblee raised an eyebrow. Did he hear right?

"Sir?"

Kimblee, along with everyone else in the room, turned toward the alchemist who spoke up. He sat a few seats down from Kimblee. If Kimblee remembered correctly, the man's state title was the Ice Alchemist.

The Ice Alchemist looked at the Fuhrer. "Are you asking us to commit genocide?"

"Does it matter?" yelled another state alchemist. This one was short and was the oldest in the room. However, he seemed one of the more aggressive people in the room despite his size. "They're nothing but traitors! It's time we gave them hell!"

Kimblee looked at Naminé. She was looking down, her blue eyes covered by her hand. More than half her food remained untouched. For a moment, he wished that he was sitting next to her, just to at least put her mind somewhat at ease. He could only imagine her state of mind.

"What about the Ishbalan soldiers?" Someone else pointed out. "Surely they can't agree with this!"

Colonel Gran talked at a normal level but his voice was enough to still the room. "Order #3066 states that all soldiers of Ishbalan ancestry are to be detained as traitors until further notice."

The Fuhrer must have seen the horrified looks on most of his soldiers' faces because he decided to step back into the conversation. "I understand how some of you must feel," the Fuhrer said. "All of you have never set foot on a battlefield. But you have to remember that in the last seven years, the Ishbalans had more than enough opportunities to surrender. To show mercy to them now will not only make us look weak to neighboring countries but also to other rebellious parties within our nation. What we're doing is a necessity to maintain order, not just for the military's sake but for all Amestrians."

Kimblee thought that was a sound enough reason. But for people like Naminé, he was sure it didn't make an ounce of sense.

* * *

Naminé sighed. It seemed that she would have a second sleepless night in a row at this rate. It was already nearing midnight but she was still wide awake. She turned on the nightstand light for the umpteenth time and rolled out of bed. The young woman paced around the room, trying to clear her mind. All she could think about was today's meeting with the Fuhrer. It was funny; she hadn't done anything to anyone yet, haven't even seen their faces and she was still terrified of what she had to do. She could only imagine how she would be when she finally did.

_Come on, Naminé, _she thought as she headed over to the mirror. _The less you think about this, the better off you'll be. _She stared at her reflection. She was wearing purple set of pajamas, nothing too appealing but not half-bad either. Her hair, from tossing and turning in her attempts to fall asleep, was a bit messy but tolerable nonetheless. She could be seen going across the hall in this state, right? Her blue eyes landed on her hickey and she brushed her hair over it with her hands. If she remembered correctly, Kimblee's room was across and over one from hers.

She opened her door and peered into the hallway. No one was there. With a sigh of relief, she unlocked her door and went across the hallway to Kimblee's room. She paused for a moment and then knocked. After a while, the door opened. "Hi," she said, her heart pounding in her ears.

"Hi."

Kimblee was acting normal, in all his shirtless glory but for Naminé, it was Milridge all over again. Every part of her wanted to admire Kimblee for what he was, to just stare and maybe even touch. She tried to tell herself that this was no big deal, that she had seen Kimblee without a shirt on plenty of times. However, a tiny voice pointed out that usually she was never this physically close to him. It took some effort to look him in the eye. "Are you busy?"

He tilted his head to the side, finding the question a bit weird. "I was about to go to sleep. Why?"

"I can't sleep." She felt like a little kid telling him that, as if he could help her scare away the boogie man.

He raised an eyebrow. "I heard several others can't either... You want me to do something about it?"

Naminé stared. She couldn't tell if he was offering help or he was being sarcastic. Kimblee offering help wasn't likely but he had seemed sort of genuine about it. She tore her eyes away and looked down the hallway. Thankfully, it was empty. "I was hoping that maybe you can bore me to sleep or something."

"Bore you to sleep?"

She nodded.

"...In your room?"

"I would rather fall asleep in my room than yours."

"Sure. Why not." Kimblee grabbed his room key off the nearby dresser and slipped it into his pocket. Then he followed Naminé across the hall and inside her room. He felt that he had just stepped into forbidden territory. This was the equivalent of Naminé willingly pulling him into her bedroom and onto her bed. Not like he had never crossed into similar territory before. Naminé lied down on her bed and looked at him with deep blue eyes before she beckoned him to come.

Kimblee moved to the other side of her bed. He joined her and rested his back on the headboard. Naminé closed her eyes, a little smile dancing on her lips. "Tell me a story."

He raised an eyebrow. This was now like her bringing him into her bedroom and asking him to tuck her into bed. It wasn't his sort of thing. "I don't know any."

She opened her eyes and craned her neck to look at him. "Not even one?"

He shook his head. His parents hadn't bothered telling him any. "What's on your mind?"

"I thought it was obvious."

"The general idea is obvious," he corrected her. "I'm assuming it has something to do with the Fuhrer's orders. Is it the idea of killing someone or an entire population?"

She sighed. "Can we not talk about this? I don't want to think about it." Kimblee remained quiet but she could guess what he was thinking. After a moment, Naminé reached over and put out the light on her nightstand. The room didn't go completely dark; some of the moonlight entered her room. She lied back down again. "You can go. I'll try to sleep by myself." The bed creaked but Naminé saw that Kimblee only moved to lie down next to her. "I said you can go."

"You didn't say I have to." With a groan, she rolled over and away from him. Kimblee smirked."Being restless doesn't help you sleep."

She looked back at him. The moonlight only hit half his face but even so, he was every bit as attractive as when the sunlight did or even the artificial light in the office. She wished that she could say it was only physical. But when that attraction was coupled with a growing emotional investment, it was so much harder to ignore.

Naminé sighed and went onto her back. Then she moved closer to Kimblee. Kimblee's chest suddenly rose, higher than usual, before falling again. She couldn't help noticing. "You should go, Kimblee."

"I'll go when you want me to go."

_That's the problem_, she thought. _I want you to stay. _She couldn't tell him that though so she settled for something else. "You're being a smart ass right now."

Kimblee laughed. That had been unexpected but very welcomed at the same time. "I'll see you tomorrow, babe." He moved to get off the bed. Before he could get far, Naminé sat up and grabbed his arm. He stopped and looked at her.

She retracted her hand. "I, um..." Naminé struggled to find the right words but they weren't so easy to find. "If you go, then I won't... I... Just..."

The bed creaked as Kimblee moved in, closing the gap between them. His nose brushed against hers as he tried to claim her lips. However Naminé fell back onto the bed at the last second. He paused, taking in her vulnerability. Then he went down.

Using his hands to prevent himself from smothering her completely, he kissed her neck, bringing back memories of the last time. This time around, the lavender scent of her hair accompanied everything else. He smelled it as he assaulted her neck, feeling her hands grasped onto his back. He ran his tongue along her pulse and got a shiver as the result. But that wasn't enough. Slipping an arm under Naminé, he rolled them over. She looked confused as she supported herself above him with her arms.

"It's easier this way," he elaborated.

"What is?" As if to answer her question, his hands took hold of her waist. His hands moved up along her pajama-covered sides until his thumbs passed over where her nipples ought to be. She let out a tiny gasp when his hands took hold her breasts and she moaned when he kneaded them. An unfamiliar fire started to rise within her but it fizzled a little when Kimblee moved his hands down again. The fire came back when his tattooed hands slipped under her shirt.

At the last moment, she pulled away, causing his hands to slip down her stomach. But unlike her, he didn't question the sudden change. He was confident and it was one of the things she loved about him. She straddled his waist. Staring into his golden eyes, she undid the first button of her pajama shirt.

Kimblee watched as she undid them one by one. When she was done, he could see the valley between her breasts, the middle of her tone stomach, down to the waistband of her pajama bottoms. He realized now that he could lose himself without a second thought, kiss and touch her until the sun came up. I seemed she had lost herself as well. Everything was probably at the back of her mind, even her boyfriend. But then his hazy eyes met hers and he could tell something was still on her mind. "What's wrong?"

"This isn't one-sided, is it?" Kimblee frowned and Naminé wondered if she sounded stupid. She rested her hands on his hard abdomen. "I'm falling for you when I shouldn't be. I just don't want to make a mistake." She waited for him to say something similar but after a while, he looked away from her.

"... Can we keep things simple?"

She was off him in an instant. Up until that moment, she had been struggling with the future. Now she was struggling with the present. She sat on the side of the bed, trying to not break down but she felt like such a fool.

Kimblee came and sat behind her. Her back arched away from his chest but that didn't deter him much. "Naminé," he said, holding her upper arms in his hands. In an attempt to calm her down, he rubbed them gently. "It's not that easy to say."

"How is it not easy to say?" She asked, not even masking her disbelief. "If you love someone, you should try everything to make that person happy, right? So why can't you tell me?" She turned around to look at him but he averted his gaze at the last moment.

"It's not that easy," he repeated.

There was silence in the room as Naminé stood up and walked over to the door, holding her pajama shirt closed with one hand. She opened the door with the other, turning the lock as she did so. "I need you to leave, Kimblee."

"Naminé-!"

She shook her head. "Don't, okay?"

He got up and headed toward the door. As he walked passed her, their shoulders brushed. For a second, he considered stopping. He even hesitated in his step. However he found himself out in the hallway. The door slammed shut.

"Lovers' quarrel?"

Kimblee looked down the hallway and saw Mustang standing there. From the sound of things, the Flame Alchemist had heard a little too much. Kimblee took a nonchalant stance. "We're not involved with each other that way." It wasn't any of Mustang's business what Naminé meant to him but the last thing he needed was for Mustang to tell Romberg about this. "We were just talking."

"Sounded like it ended badly."

"What do you want?" Kimblee reached into his pockets and pulled out his room key.

"Some of us are playing cards," Mustang said and then he amended, "Actually a lot of us are. We were wondering if you wanted to join us."

"Not interested," he said as he went into his room and closed the door behind him.

* * *

It was early morning and the state alchemists were riding their last train to Ishbal, dressed in their military uniforms. Naminé sat by herself. Everyone else sat a few tables away on the other end, talking despite how tired most of them appeared. She wanted to join them and get to know who they were. It was weird ostracizing herself like this. However, being near Kimblee wasn't what she wanted right now. Not after last night.

She saw Roy got up and made his way over to her table. "Why are you sitting by yourself?" He asked, sitting down.

"I just want to think for a while."

Roy nodded although she wasn't so sure if he understood. "I tried knocking on your door but you didn't respond."

"Sorry. I was sort of busy."

"... Did you sleep much last night?"

"Not really. You?"

He shook his head. "I was up most of the night but I couldn't get even a little bit of sleep. My dreams were terrible to say the least."

Naminé looked at Kimblee. He was smiling about something. "My dreams weren't terrible. Just... very wrong and inaccurate."

Roy raised an eyebrow. "That's sort of repetitive, isn't it?"

Kimblee caught her staring. She focused on Roy. "Not really."


	24. Chapter 24: The Last Minute Decision

**A/N: Hello! I'm sorry it's been so long since the last update. I was hoping this would have taken two weeks at most. But I ended up writing two different plotlines for this chapter and this was the more satisfying. Enjoy. **

**CHAPTER 24—The Last Minute Decision:**

"Okay, men," Colonel Gran said, looking at the state alchemists in front of them. He could tell many of them had never seen a war. Either Ishbal would make into something or break them. He already had a few guesses as to who would what. "Listen closely."

Within the large tent, the colonel paced back in forth in front of a map. It detailed the layout of Ishbal, breaking the city down into different sectors. Some had X's through them, others parts were circled. He talked about how the military's soldiers would be going into different sections and that they, the state alchemists, would accompany them. He went on to say who was going where. Some alchemists were assigned to go alone while others were assigned to go in pairs. Naminé didn't pay much attention until she heard her name.

"What?" She didn't mean to interrupt but she was certain she didn't hear right.

Gran gave her a look."You and Kimblee will be going into Sector Seven, Thomson."

"That's what I thought." Naminé looked over her shoulder at Kimblee. He was sitting in the back, completely relaxed and in tune with whatever Gran was saying. He probably had taken the news in stride.

It had only been last night that she had kicked him out of her hotel room and since then, she hadn't said a word to him. Yet her mind still dwelled on it. Just looking at him at the moment brought back that sickening feeling in the pit of her stomach. She was trying to convince herself to hate him but despite the reasons she could come up with, she couldn't bring herself to. The moment Gran wrapped up the meeting she hurried out of the tent and into the cool night. She had yet to see Romberg and supposedly, after eight o'clock, most of the soldiers ate dinner. Maybe she could catch him and share a sweet reunion with him, remind herself why Thad was the better choice.

"Babe."

Naminé kept walking.

"Babe."

_Ignore him._

"Naminé!"

The brunette turned around. "What?"

Kimblee finally reached her. "Can we talk for a bit?"

Naminé sighed. People were already glancing in their direction. "Make it quick. I want to see my boyfriend."

The corner of Kimblee's mouth twitched. Still he pulled her over to the side where they were out of everyone's way and most likely out of earshot. "About the other night-!"

"Don't bother," Naminé interrupted. "I'm over it."

"Just like that, huh?" Kimblee didn't believe her. Last night, she had been on the brink of tears. He didn't understand why she would try putting on a charade now.

"Well," she started. "Unlike you, Thad actually loves me. So I have no reason to be upset."

"I never said that I didn't."

Naminé couldn't look him in the eye. She refused to be sucked back in again. Hadn't she been stupid enough? She hadn't initiated much. She hadn't even kissed him. But she knew she had crossed too many lines. She shouldn't feel stronger for Kimblee than she did for Thad. She shouldn't long for his touch or crave for the sound of his voice. This was the part she should distance herself from him. Naminé looked at the ground. "Let's not make this complicated, Kimblee."

Before Kimblee could say a word, Naminé heard her name. She turned around. She thought she would be happier to see her boyfriend but right now, she kind of wished that reunion could be held off. "Hi Thad-!" Suddenly she was swooped up into a big hug and a kiss was planted on her lips. _Not in front of Kimblee! _Her mind shrieked until it realized Thad had every right to kiss her. It had been so long.

Thad pulled away, his hands on her shoulders. "I've missed you so much," he told her. He then looked back at Kimblee with grin. "Surprisingly you've kept to your word."

The Crimson Alchemist raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"You know, taking care of Naminé while I was in Ishbal."

"Oh. Right." He paused for a moment, assessing the situation. Naminé. Currently in Thad's arms. The sight was aggravating but he didn't show it. "I'm surprised you haven't been killed yet. Or even injured."

Naminé's jaw dropped but Romberg laughed. Apparently he thought Kimblee was joking. "Nah. I'm too good of a foot soldier to be snuck up on."

"Sort of cocky of you to say. Sometimes that can get you killed."

Romberg laughed, lacking the carefreeness he had before. "I wouldn't be surprised if at least one state alchemist dies. The majority of you think that you're untouchable."

Kimblee smirked. "True but at least a hundred foot soldiers would die before that happens."

"How about dinner?" Naminé suddenly said. "I'm really starving." The two men looked at her before laughing. She didn't understand what was so funny. They had just been at each other's throats seconds ago and now they were laughing at her.

"Come on, Naminé," Thad said, squeezing her against his body. "We were only joking."

"About _dying_?" She reiterated.

"It's dark humor," Kimblee said with a smirk. His golden eyes looked at Romberg. "So where can we get something to eat around here?"

* * *

Romberg took Naminé and Kimblee to a large tent. Inside were tables lined up and off to the side were steaming pots and bowls and eating utensils. According to Romberg, this dining tent was one of the few set up. However, due to its central location in the Amestrian camp, it was the busiest. Naminé took a bowl of soup and stared at it questioningly. The food at Headquarters had never been spectacular but at least she knew what she had been eating. Romberg must have read her expression because he said, "You'll get used to it after a while."

The three of them took their seats. Romberg, who had eaten earlier, didn't get anything. He watched Kimblee and Naminé try out their food, both of them grimacing slightly. "It's really not that bad," he said with a grin.

Kimblee snorted in disbelief. "So what's been going on in Ishbal?"

"Nothing much," Romberg said. "We fight, the Ishbalans fight back, and the war goes nowhere. That's pretty much the reason you're here, although," he added, glancing to his left at his girlfriend, "I was sort of hoping you wouldn't have been chosen to come. It's brutal out here."

Naminé continued eating her food, taking that bit of information in. She didn't want to let Romberg know that she wished she wasn't here either. It would only make him worry. "Do you know where you're assigned to tomorrow?"

"Which sector?" Romberg asked. Naminé nodded her head. "Ten. Rumors have it that Roy Mustang will be in that sector as well... What about you two?"

"We're both in Seven," Kimblee replied with a smirk.

Romberg frowned. "Why?"

Kimblee shrugged. "We're not the only ones that have been doubled up."

Naminé didn't comment. She had thought that the reason Gran had paired them up was because they had worked well together in the past. Now she wondered if she had just been unlucky. She remembered so well what had happened in those mines. There he had to use some sort of restrain. But here, Kimblee could do whatever he wanted without repercussion. They had orders to eliminate all Ishbalans.

Suddenly something cold clamped over her eyes.

"Guess who."

It wasn't until her muscles relaxed that she realized how badly she had tensed up. "Isabelle." Finally, Naminé could see again. She watched as Isabelle went around and plopped down next to Kimblee. The blonde seemed to be very excited to see them. It was very bizarre, given how serious the topic was before she had arrived.

"Well?" Isabelle said, glancing at all three faces. "I thought you would have been a little more cheery."

"We would have but we were talking about tomorrow," Romberg replied.

"Oh. What do you have to do?" Isabelle asked.

"More importantly what are you doing here?" Kimblee asked.

Isabelle scooted closer to Kimblee. She saw Naminé give her a weird look but the blonde didn't pay it too much attention. "If you must know, I just came back from a very important meeting with Colonel Gran."

"About what?" Kimblee asked.

"It's top secret but trust me, it would be something you would like a lot, Kimblee." The Crimson Alchemist looked at Naminé and then at Isabelle. After a second's thought, he whispered something into Isabelle's ear. The blonde started to giggle. "I can't," she said, looking at her lap. She was trying to act coy but she was smiling. "It's against protocol."

"You can screw protocol, right?"

"If you go now," Naminé muttered, glowering at Kimblee, "you two can screw each other." If she had any doubts about him not loving her, it was gone now. He could have a little romp with Isabelle right now for all she cared because she was done. She was done fantasizing and wishing and everything in between. She was—

"What's your problem?" Isabelle was frowning but she was doing so out of confusion and not anger. Naminé felt bad. It's not like Isabelle knew what had been going for the past few weeks. Before Naminé could explain herself, Kimblee spoke.

"It's been a while since Naminé has gotten any," Kimblee said. His golden eyes landed on the shocked brunette. "When was the last time, babe?"

Naminé pushed her half-eaten soup away and stood up. "Thad, let's go."

Romberg frowned. "Where?"

"To your tent. I, um, need you badly." Unlike Mel or Isabelle or even Vi, she didn't have her seduction techniques down yet.

Romberg stared his girlfriend for a moment before his eyes brightened in understanding. Quickly he got up and grabbed Naminé by the hand. "We'll see you two later," he said, pulling Naminé away.

"What just happened?" Isabelle asked.

"Who cares?" Kimblee said, taking a spoonful of soup. Was that supposed to make him jealous?

* * *

It was early the next morning. The sun was out on the now desolate city of Ishbal, making it hotter than comfortable. The only shade came from the abandoned and not so abandoned buildings but even so the shade coverage wasn't that great; a lot of it fell between alleyways. Naminé and a group of soldiers were sitting near a building at the border of Section Seven. For now things seemed pretty quiet.

Naminé examined the soldiers with her. There were ten all together, most with automatic guns. Two of them had sniper rifles but they also carried a pistol just in case. Judging by the hardened look on their faces, they seemed to have been in Ishbal for a while now. Kimblee wasn't here yet so, for the time being, she was the sole person in charge. To be honest, she had no idea about military command. _This can't be too hard_, she told herself_. It's not like I haven't been in situations that required strategic planning. _

"Major?" The brunette looked up at one of the soldiers. He continued. "Isn't Major Kimblee supposed to be here?"

"He probably made some detour," another soldier answered. "Probably took time to make a few bombs on the way."

Naminé smiled at the guy's attempted humor. "If he did, we would have heard them go off."

"Well if he doesn't come in the next five minutes, we're not waiting any longer," another soldier scoffed. "I hate being sitting ducks. I've heard teams being gunned down like this."

Naminé frowned and stood up. She started looking at rooftops and windows, shielding her eyes from the sun. She had never thought of snipers being around. As far as she could tell, there wasn't any hiding. She looked back at the group of soldiers. They were watching her as if they were waiting for her orders. "We'll leave in three minutes."

Three minutes passed and no sign of Kimblee. She bit her lip. She was definitely reporting this to Gran. In distance she spotted smoke from another part of Ishbal.

"Seems like everyone else got started," a soldier said, standing up. He was the one who had attempted some humor earlier. "Are we heading out, ma'am?"

Naminé took a deep breath. Forget telling Gran. She was going to kill Kimblee on sight. "Sure." She headed over to the nearest building for cover. She wasn't sure how this worked but she supposed the key was to stay low and out of sight. She slinked her way over to the next building and then looked at her men. She waved them over. All the while they moved, she got the feeling that she was leading them into a deathtrap.

"What are we looking for?" One of them asked.

"Something," Naminé replied. "An Ishbalan or a group..." Almost on cue, an Ishbalan man stepped out into the opened and looked at her. Then he took off running.

"Should we-!"

Naminé shook her head. The Ishbalan had looked into her eyes with no fear. He could have been trying to lead them into an ambush and she was not going to go for an obvious trap. So they shouldn't follow. However, the Ishbalan rebels would soon be aware of their location. Suddenly she groaned earning a few weird looks from her men. _I guess that was when I should've taken that guy down. _He was the only one who knew their location. For now anyway. "We should move."

"Where to?"

"Somewhere far from here."

They went deeper into the area. Naminé tried to stay calm but her heart was racing, more with fear than with adrenaline. She wondered how the other state alchemists were doing. Every once in awhile, more smoke would rise above the buildings. She stopped moving and scanned the skylines and windows. Then she spotted an Ishbalan by a fourth floor window. She posed to snap her fingers when she saw another one on the rooftop. Then she saw a third one at another window, loading his gun. She looked up at one of the buildings they were in between and caught someone shrinking back for cover.

"What's wrong?"

Naminé looked at the soldiers and grimaced. Quickly she toed a transmutation circle. She clapped her hands and touched it. There was a bright light and a door appeared. She opened it. "Get in now."

"What?"

"Now," she hissed, looking around. That was when the others started to look around as well. They soon saw their situation.

"What the hell?"

"Now!" That was when the first shot rang out. A soldier fell down and clutched his shoulder, writhing in pain. Another bullet whizzed pass Naminé's head. Quickly, she took out a piece of broken chalk from her pocket and drew a transmutation circle on the wall next to her. She then transmuted a tall wall between the two buildings, hiding them from the Ishbalans across the street. Naminé looked up and saw more Ishbalans lining the roofs overhead. "Go underground!"

"Not without you, Major!"

"Don't be idi-!" Her blue eyes widened in shock. At the other end of the alleyway, more Ishbalans appeared. Her fellow men dropped their weapons and raised their hands to surrender. Naminé did the same thing. _This is it. Either they take us prisoner or kill us here. _If she had known better or had been more careful, this wouldn't have happened. But the problem was she lacked this sort of experience. She never had to worry about more than two people.

Suddenly an Ishbalan fell down from the roof and hit the ground with a sickening thud. Everyone stared at the dead man, frozen in place as if they were trying to make sense of what had happened. Then another man fell down.

Naminé had never seen a person fall five, six stories to their death. Now she wished she hadn't. The two Ishbalans' bodies were bent in unnatural ways, their faces still held in shock with a single bullet exit wound in their foreheads, and the blood forming a puddle around them. An explosion was heard followed by another from inside the building to the soldiers' left.

Naminé looked at the Ishbalans in front of them. They still had their weapons pointed and ready to fire but their attentions were on the roof and the surrounding buildings. They looked worried and anxious as they tried to figure out what was going on. Then side wall exploded and the Ishbalans were sent flying into the ground.

Kimblee emerged through the smoke, grinning like a maniac. "Stand back and watch the fireworks!"

* * *

-FLASHBACK-

"You jerk!"

Kimblee grinned. The effects of his bomb-making hadn't completely worn off yet. "That's nothing new, babe."

She glared at him. The fight was over and Sector Seven was more or less under military control. All the men that had come with her were still alive and the one who had gotten shot was getting the bullet dislodged from his shoulder. Still this mission would have gone so much smoother if her idiot of a partner actually came on time. Instead of feeling sorry, he actually stood there looking smug as if without him, they would have been dead. Unfortunately, that was the truth. And guess who looked like the idiot?

"If you knew you were going to be late-!"

"If you weren't stupid, you would have waited."

"So now _I'm_ stupid?" She exclaimed. Instead of answering, Kimblee laughed a little. She stared at him. He was nothing like the man who had gotten her heart to race the last few days and she wondered if she had been that foolish. Kimblee nodded his head to the side and the brunette turned to see what he was nodding at. She saw Romberg approaching the group. He was carrying a sniper rifle on his back.

"I thought you might've appreciated your boyfriend watching over your back from above," Kimblee said. "Romberg's a decent sniper and since Mustang's group had the 'Hawk's Eye,' they didn't mind giving him up."

Naminé looked back at Kimblee. "You could have told me."

"Last minute decision," he replied. "There was no time to go back and forth. Maybe if you had waited, I don't know, ten more minutes, you wouldn't have embarrassed yourself, _Thomson_."

At that point, Naminé had to walk away because she couldn't take him anymore.

-END FLASHBACK-

That had been hours ago. Now dining hours were coming to a close for the day. Naminé had stayed away from the central dining tent and had gone to one of the smaller ones that Kimblee wouldn't be in. Even then, she immediately left with her food just in case he'd show up. Currently she had her tent to herself. All her bunkmates were out somewhere. Not like she minded; she had wanted some time to herself, just to think and scowl. But now she was feeling a bit tired. She stepped over her empty soup bowl and reached her small luggage. She pulled out her pajamas and threw them on her bunk. Then she sat down and started to remove her boots.

_I might as well sleep early._ Tomorrow was another day on the battlefield and Kimblee would still be her partner. "Tomorrow's going to be fantastic," she muttered sarcastically to herself. She threw her military jacket next to her stuff followed by her shirt. She heard the tent flap open. "Hey," she said, turning around. She had thought it was one of bunkmates returning from dinner. However, it was Kimblee. She grabbed her jacket and covered her chest. "You're not supposed to be in here!"

"Relax," he said, taking a seat on a nearby bunk. "I just want to talk to you."

"After today-!"

"That's what I want to talk about," Kimblee said, cutting her off. He looked into her eyes. She was trying so hard to be mad at him but he knew she couldn't be mad at him forever. Two days at the most. But he was determined to make that happened in twelve hours. They had to work together tomorrow after all. Not only that, he still wanted her. Did he have to wonder what she did with Romberg every time they skipped dinner together? That another man was actually touching her in ways he wished he could?

His golden eyes left her blue ones and landed on the jacket she was clutching so tightly over her chest. He could still see the bits of a white bra peeking from underneath. What he wouldn't give to unhook her bra, lay her down on her bed, and get sounds out of her that he couldn't imagine leaving her lips. If she gave him permission to take things a little further-!

"Whatever you want to say, Kimblee, say it," Naminé stated, readjusting her jacket.

Kimblee raised an eyebrow. "You don't have to be a bitch about this."

"You don't have to be a jerk."

"I don't try to be," he told her. He leaned forward, resting his forearms on his legs. He looked back into her eyes again. "I wasn't trying to make you look like an idiot this morning. That's not something I would intentionally do to you."

"That's hard to believe, Kimblee."

He got up and approached her but he stopped when she took a step back. "Naminé, I'm not one to spill all my emotions at once here."

"I know," she said.

"...I do care about you."

Naminé looked at the ground and clutched her jacket even tighter. "I care about you, too, but... I love Thad."

"You don't say." Naminé couldn't even look him in the eye. A part of him found it entertaining but the rest of him was a bit annoyed. It was like they could never move forward. If they could, how simple things would be? "I can wait two days, babe." She looked back up, his words not making much sense. Kimblee smirked. "Two days for you to make up your mind about what you want."

"I told you already," she said quietly.

"Two days. Until then, I'll act like my normal 'jerk' self. See you tomorrow, Naminé." He glanced her over before he walked out of the tent.

Naminé sat down on her bed, still holding onto her jacket. Was he serious? She knew what she wanted – a stable, non-tumultuous relationship with Thad. She wanted it to be simple and she wanted to know what to expect. Maybe it was all a bit mundane but it was better than wanting to scream half the time and stressing the rest.

"_First of all, you have the potential to be the most beautiful bomb I can ever make," _Kimblee had told her._ "But I would never turn you into one. You see, your body deserves to undergo a different sort of explosion, one that will rock you to your core."_

Her mind could only imagine what sort of explosion that would be but she couldn't allow it to wander that far. "Don't be stupid," she warned herself. She couldn't afford to make any mistakes. Although, over the next two days, she would realize the mistake she had been making for the longest time.

**A/N: Thanks to UnderTheHood and kasuki101 for the reviews. Also thanks to those who've added this story to their favorites/alerts list. Hopefully the next chapter won't take too long. Till later.**


	25. Chapter 25: Mere Suspicions

**A/N: This story has been at the back of my mind for the last month and a half. I wasn't sure how to approach this chapter. But I came up with something. This chapter builds off the events in the first three of the flashback chapters in **_**The Lightning That Thunders **_**(Chapters 5 to 7). I wanted to do something new as oppose to rewriting. So yeah. These are all new Ishbal scenes but they refer to older ones. Still, this chapter is on the iffy side so let me know how it works. Next chapter finishes off Ishbal, telling the story of how everything went wrong for Naminé, Kimblee, Isabelle, and Romberg. How did Romberg die?**

**Anyway, I want to thank those who reviewed the story since the last update: Arinlianette, UnderTheHood, kasuki101, Mitsukai, compa16, SuperYuuki, Affectionate-Sinner, and Ren Sayonia. Forgive me for updating so late!**

**CHAPTER 25—Mere Suspicions:**

It was the next morning. Well rested or not, the military personnel were already on their feet and doing what they needed to do. Doctors and nurses were attending the wounded while the majority of soldiers headed toward their designated areas. Reluctantly, Naminé approached the border of Sector Eleven. After yesterday's fiasco, she hardly wanted to face the group but if she didn't show up, she would be in trouble. It was losing situation either way.

She rounded an abandoned building and saw that everyone else was there already, chatting in low voices. Even Romberg was present. _I guess Thad's a part of our team now_, she thought. _That's good. _"Um, morning," she called out as cheerful as possible. The men immediately stopped talking and looked at her. _Yep_, she thought. _They must be talking about me. _

Romberg broke away from the group and came over. He wrapped an arm around her waist and pecked her on her cheek. "You okay? I didn't see you last night."

"I'm fine." Naminé relaxed. Maybe they hadn't been talking about her. Romberg wasn't giving her that awkward vibe when someone heard a conversation they weren't supposed to hear. Naminé looked at Kimblee. "I'm sorry I'm late."

Kimblee shook his head. "You're not, Thomson. We were just talking about home and if we missed anything."

Romberg's hold around Naminé's waist tightened. "I said I would have missed you but you're here now." Kimblee snorted and Romberg gave him a dirty look. "Don't mind Kimblee," Romberg added. "He wishes he had someone like you."

Kimblee rolled his eyes, almost causing Naminé to laugh. "Do you miss anything, Kimblee?" She asked.

His eyes wandered over her for a split second before meeting her gaze. "I left nothing behind to miss," he finally replied. Naminé felt her heart skip a beat. _He didn't mean it like that_, she told herself. Yet her intuition said otherwise. Why else did Romberg's hold suddenly get too tight for comfort?

"So what's our game plan today, Major Kimblee?" One of the soldiers asked, clearly eager for action this morning.

Kimblee shrugged. "Don't really have one." It wasn't in his plan to babysit anyone. He just wanted to do what he loved to do. If they really wanted a babysitter, they could go bug Naminé. Although, after yesterday, he doubted that idea would be appealing to any of the soldiers. He looked up and saw Naminé was studying him. "What are you thinking, Thomson?"

Naminé folded her arms and looked at the soldiers around her. "Maybe we should split into smaller units or go by ourselves," she said. "Smaller units can plan for themselves and as long as we know where everyone is, I think we'll be fine."

"We would get less attention that way," someone murmured. "With less of us running around together, I mean."

Kimblee smirked. "Then it's settled," he said. "I'll go by myself. The rest of you do what you want." There was a slight murmur but the foot soldiers did what they were told.

"So tell me," Romberg asked Naminé. "Was that you doing Kimblee a favor?"

The brunette quickly shook her head, surprised that Romberg seemed bothered by the idea. "Actually, I did it for myself."

Romberg frowned. "What do you mean?"

_He really doesn't it get it. _She sighed. "I want to go alone." She casually looked over her shoulder to see where Kimblee had gone off to. He was going into the field by himself. Why couldn't she? Maybe they would even run into each other and work together.

Romberg pulled Naminé back into reality. "Naminé, don't be silly. You could get killed out there."

Someone yelled, "Hey, Romberg!"

Romberg turned around and saw a soldier waving him over. Behind that soldier was a small team already made. "One minute!" He faced Naminé again. "Why don't we find a group to join? You'll be safer with numbers."

Naminé sighed. It was obvious that he really believed this was for her benefit. "I've made up my mind, Thad. I'm going by myself."

"I don't like this."

She gave him a small smile. "I'll be fine."

* * *

Naminé had told him not to worry but Romberg had watched his girlfriend nearly be crushed by a falling building. If it hadn't been for Kimblee-!

Romberg ran a hand through his hair as he waited on the dinner line, holding his tray. If Naminé had been hurt by Kimblee's enthusiasm for his job, he would have had it out with the alchemist by now. But she hadn't; Kimblee had tackled her out of the way just in time. What got Romberg was what _didn't_ happen afterward. Despite the two alchemists' questionable position on the ground, Kimblee hadn't gotten off his girlfriend. In fact, he must have been on top of her for at least a minute, doing who knew what.

Suddenly someone grabbed him by the shoulder and cut in front of him. If it hadn't been for the grin, he would have snapped.

"Mind if I 'wait on line' with you?" Isabelle grinned, holding her tray at her side.

"I don't mind," he sighed. "How are you?"

"Bored," she said. "My supervisor isn't here yet and I have nothing to do."

"Maybe you should help in a medical tent. They could always use the extra hands."

"I was thinking more of the battlefield," Isabelle said. "I hear lots of things happen out there. Like what happened between Naminé and Kimblee today?"

Romberg huffed a bit. "Nothing happened."

"Oh, so Naminé's not playing the both of you?" Romberg gave the blonde a dirty look and Isabelle smiled apologetically. "I'm kidding, okay? I just heard a few guys mention it. That's all."

Romberg looked around the dining tent. There was no sign of Kimblee and there was no sign of his girlfriend either. They couldn't be together right now, doing things that they shouldn't. It would be very stupid of them to think he would never find out. _What am I thinking?_ _I'm being irrational._ But maybe he was not. "Is a month a long time?" He suddenly asked.

Isabelle laughed. "You think something happened between them while you were gone?"

"Does it sound that farfetched?"

She stopped laughing and thought about it. "I... I would hope so."

Romberg quirked an eyebrow. Just for a split second, there was a change in Isabelle's expression. "Do you know something that I don't?"

"Of course not," Isabelle lied. She had remembered something she had overheard a year ago between the two alchemists, something about Naminé like Kimblee more than Romberg. But that was the problem. It was a _year_ ago and Isabelle was not going to ignite an argument for nothing. The blonde looked around for a way to divert the attention away from her. Finally she found one. "Roy! Over here!"

The Flame Alchemist was about to take his position at the end of the long line when he spotted a familiar face calling him over. He had no problem cutting ahead. "Hi Isabelle," he said. He nodded at Romberg. "How's it going?"

Romberg got straight to the point. "How often do you see Kimblee and Naminé together, Mustang?"

Roy blinked. "What?"

Isabelle rolled her eyes. "This is getting really ridiculous, Romberg."

"It's a fair question, isn't it?"

"Shouldn't you ask your girlfriend that?" Roy pointed out.

"Did you see something?" Romberg reiterated.

Roy sighed. Romberg seemed so far from reason. "Well, since you asked, before coming to Ishbal, the state alchemists had to meet the Fuhrer in East City. Most of us stayed at a hotel. At some point in the night, I saw Kimblee leaving Naminé's room."

Isabelle's eyes widened. "What?"

"Relax," Roy said. "Kimblee looked more pissed off than excited." The Flame Alchemist looked around the tent. "We could call him over."

"He's here?" Romberg spotted Kimblee at the entrance. He didn't see Naminé with him but maybe that was part of a cover up.

"Kimblee!" Isabelle yelled.

The Crimson Alchemist raised an eyebrow but he slowly came over. Seeing Isabelle, Romberg, and Mustang together was a bit weird and judging by the looks on their faces, he wasn't sure if he wanted to join the party. Romberg looked pissed, Mustang looked confused, and Isabelle looked like she was on the brink of devastation. Still, the line was too long and he would rather deal with them than wait. Before he could even get out a greeting, Romberg spoke.

"What were you doing in Naminé's hotel room the other night?"

Kimblee almost laughed. Was this what he actually walked into? An interrogation? "Believe or not, she wanted me to tell her a bedtime story," Kimblee replied coolly. Not like he was entirely lying; she did ask him to at some point.

Romberg frowned. "I don't."

"Suit yourself. But Naminé would tell you the same thing." Romberg wasn't even bothering to hide his hostility. From the way Romberg was acting, someone would have thought he had caught Naminé cheating on him.

"And after you got inside the room?" Isabelle asked.

"I insulted her and she kicked me out."

Isabelle seemed very satisfied by this. She wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "See? There's nothing to worry about."

"You could always ask Naminé," Roy suggested again.

Romberg sighed. "There's no reason to bother her," he muttered. He was trying to tell himself he was being paranoid and irrational but his mind kept insisting that something _was_ off. Two nights ago, after saying she needed him so badly and pulling him away from dinner, Naminé hadn't kissed him the way she used to. She hadn't reacted to his touch the way she normally would. It couldn't be his imagination.

"Why are you so attached to Naminé?" Romberg asked. He felt that he needed to ask. Roy and Isabelle looked at Kimblee, expecting the usual quick and nonchalant answer. However, Kimblee hadn't been prepared for that question. "Well?"

Kimblee shrugged. "I don't know. She's an accepting person. It's what I..." He hesitated for a moment. "It's what I like about her."

* * *

That was not what Kimblee had meant to say last night. Even though Isabelle had told Romberg that there was nothing to worry about, she knew better. Now, as the two waited for Kimblee and Naminé to return to camp, it seemed that her suspicions were being confirmed. The group had unfortunately split up an hour ago. What could be taking them so long?

"Do you think they came back to camp a different way?" Romberg asked. "This isn't the only way into camp."

"But it's the most likely," Isabelle said. "You said so yourself. And let's be honest, I doubt any game of cat-and-mouse would last this long. One of them must have lost by now." _Unless they're with each other and don't give a damn that we're worried._

Today, Isabelle had stepped out onto the battlefield with the intention of talking to Naminé alone. The woman needed to know what was going on and according to Naminé, there was nothing going on. For a moment, her mind had been at ease.

But then, Isabelle and Naminé stumbled upon two injured Ishbalan children and the Lightning Alchemist naturally wanted to help them, even though it was against orders. To make things worse, Romberg and Kimblee showed up. Of course Kimblee and Naminé got into a disagreement right away. She wanted to save them, he wanted to kill them. However, Isabelle had been very surprised that Naminé shocked Kimblee. That was how it all started: Kimblee's pursuit of Naminé.

"Maybe I should have gone after them," Romberg said, pacing around the military camp entrance for the umpteenth time in half an hour. "Naminé can't exactly win against Kimblee in a fight. They fought before and Kimblee domina-!"

"You actually think Kimblee blew her up?" Isabelle interrupted.

"Maybe he did! Would he _care_ if she died?"

Isabelle narrowed her green eyes. _Kimblee would_ _care, you idiot. Just yesterday you were asking why he was so attached to her. _She looked away, more irritated than before. "I'm pretty sure Naminé and Kimblee are kissing and making up right now," she muttered under her breath.

"What?"

"Nothing," she lied.

"What are you two doing here?"

Isabelle and Romberg turned around. There was Kimblee, standing there with a disinterest look on his face. Physically he looked okay which meant Naminé hadn't done much harm. Nothing could be said about the other way around though. Isabelle was about to ask him what happened but Romberg opened his mouth first. "Where's Naminé?"

"Gran is talking to her," he replied.

"Gran?" Romberg questioned.

"Yeah. We ran into him in Ishbal. He was pretty pissed off about us messing around." Romberg gave the Crimson Alchemist a funny look. Kimblee smirked. "Relax. I didn't even get a chance to put my hands on her."

"If you had hurt her-!"

"I have other things to worry about."

"Like what?"

Kimblee shrugged. "Whatever Gran decides."

Isabelle sighed. So the two alchemists had gotten in more trouble than she had hoped. Whatever Gran decided would be difficult, something that would put them at risk but also something they could manage. _And once again, Naminé and Kimblee will be alone. _The idea irked her. Wasn't the previous month and a half good enough for them?

The blonde grabbed Kimblee's hand and smiled at Romberg. "You mind if you excuse us?"

Romberg reached for the back of his neck. "Alright. I'll try to find Naminé. She's in Gran's tent, right, Kimblee?"

"Yeah," Kimblee replied. Once Romberg took off, he asked, "Is there a reason you're holding my hand?"

Isabelle giggled. "Why? You never held a woman's hand before?"

"I'm not exactly the romantic type."

She tightened her grip on his hand, much to his annoyance. "Come on. I want to talk to you."

Isabelle led Kimblee further into camp. She peeped into several tents before finding one that was not in use. There were a few crates piled up inside and a single table and its chair near the tent's rear. Isabelle walked in and sat on top of the table while Kimblee took a seat on top of a crate. Isabelle stared at the ground. "Remember... Remember we were Gran's first subordinates?" She asked.

"I remember. I also remember that if you didn't freeze up in real combat, Romberg might still be stationed at Briggs."

She looked up sharply. "Are you blaming me for Romberg's transfer?"

"No," he smirked. "I'm just recalling a fact. Besides having Romberg transferred was one of the best things that happened. I was able to do a lot more hands-on kind of missions. Plus me and Romberg started that stupid game."

"You guys never finished it," Isabelle said quietly. "Naminé was supposed to be your tiebreaker."

"Yeah. Funny how things work out."

"...Did you ever _not_ want her around?"

His golden eyes narrowed a bit and she wondered if her question had been too frank. But when she heard his voice, the tension left her body. "In the beginning, yeah, I did. She completely botched that warehouse mission. She allowed herself to be captured by Daniels. Up to now, she still doesn't get the concept of strategy. But she has been improving. I can give her that much... Did you—no, do you _ever_ want her around?"

Isabelle pursed her lips. "Why would you ask me that?"

Kimblee's smirk widened. "Because women tend to be jealous creatures. So, are you jealous of Naminé's relationship with Romberg or her relationship with, I don't know, Mustang, or perhaps her relationship with-!"

"Can you stop?" Isabelle interrupted. "You know what it is so why can't you just say it?"

Kimblee stopped smirking. "You're right. I should just say it." Before he could admit to anything, the tent flap open and a few higher-ranking officers walked it. There was an awkward moment as the officers tried to figure out why the Crimson Alchemist was alone with a female officer. Isabelle hopped off the table and made a beeline for the exit. "Excuse us, sirs," Kimblee said as he walked out behind her.

Once outside, Isabelle stopped walking and turned around. "Are you going to?" She asked.

"Right now is a bad time, don't you think?" Around them, soldiers bustled back and forth. Outside wasn't as private as the tent had been. They could easily find another tent but Kimblee wasn't going to allow a part two of the conversation. That much was obvious.

Isabelle sighed. "If you say so, Kimblee."

* * *

When was the right time to tell her? It had been on Kimblee's mind since Gran's assignment began but between the disagreements, getting shot at, killing Ishbalans, and tending to Naminé's bullet wound, he hadn't had much time to find the right words. He _had_ admitted that he wanted her and Naminé had been okay with that. But even though he was now in her arms, it bothered him because he knew that wasn't exactly what she wanted to hear. Why had she accepted it so easily tonight when the first time, in the hotel room, she had gotten so upset? Was it because of his request to keep things simple and she believed that the wait wasn't worth avoiding the risks? This, he was beginning to realize, was anything but simple.

Hearing his name leave her lips got his heart racing, seeing her near him made the hairs on the back of his neck stand, and now, feeling her lips on his hot skin caused him to be breathless. In some ways this was greater than the anticipation after making a bomb and in some ways this was greater than the rush he got after the bomb exploded. But his mind had yet to catch up to his body. He wanted to at least let her hear it once.

"Kimblee?"

He pulled away and looked into Naminé's smoldering blue eyes, trying to see what was wrong. "Is your shoulder hurting you?" He breathed heavily.

She shook her head, a red tint appearing in her cheeks. "It's fine... I was just wondering if you could remove your shirt?"

He tried not to laugh as he did. He found it funny that she was so embarrassed about to ask. It was as if she had never asked a man to before. _For all I know, she probably never had._ He was about to kiss her again but she stopped him. "What is it?"

Cautious of her shoulder, she slowly pulled her top over her head. Kimblee thought she was going to stop there but he watched as she unclasped the front of her bra. His golden eyes roamed every revealed inch of skin, his arousal steadily growing. "We're going slow tonight, right, Naminé?" Although, this wasn't exactly his definition of slow.

"You want to?"

"Yeah," he replied. He was lying. He wanted to take her, relieve himself from what he had been feeling for months. But he didn't want her to wake up in the morning and regret it. He didn't want their first time to be associated with Ishbal. If they waited until Romberg was out of the picture, it would be all the better.

"Okay, Kimblee," she finally whispered.

He came back down and brushed his lips against hers. Already he could feel her hard nipples against his chest. "Call me by my first name," he asked of her. He was never really fond of his first name but maybe, hearing it from her would make it sound sweeter to his ears.

She slipped her fingers over his tensed arms, across his shoulder, before brushing her thumb over his lips. Her eyes, which had been following her hand, finally looked into his. They had been smoldering before. Now they were burning. "Kiss me, Zolf."

Kimblee crushed his lips against hers, causing her to moan. He slipped a hand underneath her back and she arched into him, pressing her body into his own. He knew exactly what he felt for her but this wasn't the right time to tell her. Right now, he just wanted to make the most of tonight.


	26. Chapter 26: Suspicions Confirmed

**A/N: Finally! It ends! Well, the Ishbal arc ends. The chapter afterwards is the memorial service and then a time skip that takes us to the main storyline. I'm so ready to hit the main storyline. Anyway, I apologize for the long hiatus. Hopefully I'll be better because I already know where I want to go with Chapter 27. I would like to thank thegriffin88, UnderTheHood, and Amee for their reviews and those who have checked out the story this far. Enjoy the last bit of Ishbal!**

**CHAPTER 26—Suspicions Confirmed:**

If Ishbalans had ambushed him and Naminé on the way back to camp this morning, Kimblee wouldn't have been so quick on his feet. His mind was filled with thoughts of the taste of her lips, the feel of her skin, the look in her blue eyes. And even though he had managed to get more out of her this morning, he wasn't completely satisfied. That was partly why he didn't want to return to camp so soon. Here, he couldn't have her the way he wanted to. Not with all these soldiers around them. He looked at the brunette, who seemed lost in her own thoughts.

"Feel guilty?" He finally asked as a soldier hurried past him.

"Yes," she replied after a while. "It's hard not to."

"...Do you regret it?"

She looked away. "No, I don't."

He nodded but he didn't say anything. The possibility of a next time was clearly obvious. A nurse ran passed them, a sign that they were near a medical tent. The medical tent would be their first stop this morning. Although Kimblee had tended to Naminé's bullet wound, last night's activities had done more harm than good. They located the nearest medical tent. They stood off to the side as someone, critically injured, was rushed inside by a few fellow soldiers.

"You won't be their first priority," Kimblee said.

"It's okay," she said. "I'm not in dire pain. Maybe I should go report to the Colonel first."

"I'll take care of it, babe," Kimblee said, stopping her. The two looked at each other and his heart skipped a beat. "We'll talk later?"

"Okay." She gave him a warm smile. "Bye Kimblee."

"Bye, babe."

She disappeared into the tent and Kimblee headed in the other direction. It took him about ten minutes to arrive to Colonel Gran's tent and when he finally did, he was surprised to see someone was already inside talking to his superior. The colonel and the man looked at Kimblee.

"Crimson," Gran spoke. "This is Doctor Tim Marcoh, the Crystal Alchemist."

Kimblee nodded. "Isabelle's new boss."

"You know Ms. Stonewall?" Marcoh asked.

"Yeah," he replied. "Used to work with her until ten months ago."

The lines on Marcoh's face deepened. "Did she ever mention what we were working on?"

Kimblee frowned. Gran quickly explained. "For the past few months, the Crystal Alchemist has been working on an alchemic amplifier."

"For the war, right?" Kimblee asked but he already knew the answer.

"It is for the war," Gran confirmed. Just from the way he was smirking, he could see that Kimblee was excited. An alchemic amplifier for him meant bigger, louder explosions and if the Fuhrer wanted a swift end to this war, that was the kind of firepower he needed. He looked at Doctor Marcoh. "You'll bring the materials later, right?"

"Yes sir." Despite his answer, Marcoh didn't look like a man who wanted to follow through. He then walked out of the tent.

Kimblee watched Marcoh leave before turning toward his superior. Gran was glancing over his papers.

"How was the mission?" The Iron Blood Alchemist finally asked.

"Went well," he shrugged.

"And how well did Naminé perform?"

Kimblee raised an eyebrow. "What?"

Gran gave the alchemist a funny look. "Was she helpful?"

"Oh." Kimblee quickly pushed last night out of his head. "She finally killed someone last night but I doubt she remembers."

"I see." Gran seemed to be lost in thought for a second. Then he opened his drawer and pulled out an envelope. "This arrived this morning," Gran explained as he handed it over. Kimblee examined it. There were two things that caught his eye. One, the letter was addressed to the Colonel and two, the sender was Kaili Thomson. He pulled out the letter and quickly scanned it. Then he looked at the colonel.

"Why are you showing me this?"

"Do you think Naminé is cut out for war?"

"I don't think she's cut out to be a soldier."

"Then you think it's best that she leaves Ishbal."

"Yeah but..."

"But what?"

Kimblee wanted Naminé to get out of here. Even thought Naminé was still mentally together, she was going to crack at some point and their final assignment in Ishbal would be more than enough to do it. Gran definitely didn't expect Naminé to go on a massive killing spree and Kimblee doubted that Naminé wanted to see a massive killing spree. "Would you put her on leave for disobeying orders?"

Gran looked at him. Just for a second, he believed that Kimblee was concerned for Naminé. But that seemed a bit strange. When did Kimblee ever worry about others? "I showed you the letter for a reason. If she had been disobeying orders, it would be easier to dismiss her from duty but as far as I know, she hasn't been. Still I'll talk to the Fuhrer."

* * *

It was only a few hours ago that Naminé announced that she had gotten the okay to leave, courtesy of the Fuhrer. Isabelle was a little happy but at the same a bit jealous. The Fuhrer actually thought family was that important, huh? According to Kimblee, Naminé didn't even have a good relationship with her mother. She wondered if the Fuhrer knew that little tidbit.

While Isabelle wasn't particular fond of the alchemist these days, she still wanted to say goodbye to Naminé. A few weeks ago, Isabelle had a requested a transfer back to South HQ. She wanted to hang out with her coworkers again, feel the hot sun on her face, and work in the same office she had started in a few years back. She didn't want to go back to seeing the things she had seen the past several months and if she was going to return to her old home, she needed to be on good terms with everyone. Even Naminé.

A chilly night breeze swept passed her, causing Isabelle to shiver. While she hated the daytime hot weather, it was a lot bearable compared to the dramatic temperature drop. In her rush to catch the brunette awake, she had forgotten to bring her military jacket. Standing in a black tank top and military pants, she spotted Naminé's tent. She almost ran toward it, determined to get to somewhere warmth. However, she suddenly stopped.

Coming from the opposite direction was Kimblee and Naminé. The two seemed were literally so wrapped up in each other that they hadn't noticed her. They probably wouldn't notice anyone for that matter. Isabelle watched them for a while, her mind racing. Kimblee had his arm around Naminé's waist and Naminé was leaning into him. Isabelle wanted to write that off as casual but she couldn't. This time she couldn't fool herself and it didn't help when Kimblee went in for a kiss he shouldn't be taking and a kiss that Naminé shouldn't be returning.

"_As much as I like Kimblee, I would never cheat on Thad."_

Isabelle narrowed her eyes.

_Liar_.

She watched Naminé go back inside her tent. That was when Kimblee finally spotted the blonde. Isabelle bit her bottom lip. Was this the part when she ran away and acted like she hadn't seen anything? As Kimblee walked toward her, she tried to come up with something to say. But what? That was wrong of him? How could he do that to Romberg? But instead of stopping in front of her like she had hoped, Kimblee just walked passed her. She knew then exactly what he thought about what he was doing and what he thought about her.

"I hate you," she said under her breath. She hoped he would stop then but he kept on walking. She didn't know what to do anymore. _Don't cry_, Isabelle told herself. This was stupid. He was stupid. _She _was stupid. The blonde hated everything about them.

"Isabelle." She turned around and saw Romberg. Had she been standing there that long? She gave a small wave and the guy grinned. All she could keep thinking to herself, _He doesn't even know. _

"Are you going to say goodbye to Naminé?" He asked.

Somehow she ended up walking with Romberg to Naminé's tent. She didn't want to be here. But she kept a smile on her face when Naminé came out of the tent to greet them. She didn't say a word when Romberg kissed his girlfriend goodbye. Most importantly, she didn't lose her control as she the brunette one last hug. It wasn't until Isabelle got back to her tent that she broke down.

For the rest of the night, she was constantly in and out of sleep. She wasn't entirely sure what kept her tossing in bed. Was it Kimblee declaring his affections for Naminé? Was it Naminé being the slut that she was? When the sun rose, she got dressed and stepped out of her tent. Already soldiers were walking around. She walked through camp before finding the person she was looking for. He was sitting outside with some guys. She placed a hand on his shoulder and he looked up at her with his brown eyes.

"Morning, Isabelle," Romberg grinned. "How are things?"

She couldn't smile back. She couldn't pretend things were okay anymore. "I need to tell you something."

* * *

Kimblee was waiting with his group of foot soldiers. Romberg hadn't shown up yet and it was five minutes past the meeting time. He had thought about taking the group and going into Ishbal without him. However, he wanted a sniper on the field. One never knew when a sniper might come in handy. He opened his pocket watch. Now Romberg was ten minutes late.

"Major."

Kimblee looked over to his left. "We should get going now, yeah?"

"Let's go," Kimblee muttered. If Romberg did show up, the damn man could either go back to camp or come find them on the battlefield. He could take care of himself.

"Should we split into groups then, sir?"

"You four-!" Out the corner of his eye, he saw Romberg in the distance, his sniper rifle on his back. "You sure took your time this morning," Kimblee said when the man got closer.

"I got sidetracked," he explained with a shrug.

"If Naminé was here, you would have gotten here ten minutes ago."

Romberg narrowed his brown eyes and his jaw clenched. But he didn't make a remark. Instead, he looked at their surroundings before nodding toward a building. "I want to snipe from that rooftop."

Kimblee looked at the building in question. It wasn't too far away and it towered over most of the surrounding buildings. "I'm not stopping you."

"I was hoping you'd come with me, to clear out the building and stuff... That's not too much for you, is it, Kimblee?"

The Crimson Alchemist scoffed. "Is that a serious question?"

"Are you coming or not?"

They looked at each other and that was when Kimblee knew something was wrong. The look in Romberg's eyes was one of a man who had just been betrayed and it was a very dangerous look to receive. "Yeah, I'm coming." He looked at the other soldiers. "We'll be back in fifteen minutes."

"Fifteen minutes?" Someone asked.

"Fifteen minutes won't kill you," Kimblee said. He looked at Romberg before he started walking off. Romberg followed. After a second thought, Kimblee stopped and waited for Romberg to catch up.

The two walked side by side in silence. Kimblee used the time to think of a possible explanation to Romberg's behavior. It didn't take long to come up with the one thing Romberg would be upset about. Romberg knew about Naminé and the fact that she had been cheating. No doubt courtesy of Isabelle. Once they got to the building, the two located the stairs. It was narrow, barely wide enough for one person.

"You can go first," Romberg said.

"You go on ahead," Kimblee offered.

"But it makes more sense if you go," Romberg said, trying to keep his voice even. "A sniper rifle is hardly the weapon for close range combat."

"I know that," Kimblee said. "But you have a pistol on you, right?"

"I forgot it," he said. "I was in a—Are we going to argue about this? It's not like I'm holding a gun to your head."

Kimblee looked at Romberg. The man's face seemed relaxed and calm. However, his eyes were saying differently. Romberg was thinking, calculating something. Kimblee stepped away from the stairs. "You go first."

Romberg went ahead and Kimblee followed. They didn't speak until they reached the final floor. The hallway was just as narrowed, with several rooms branching off of it. Kimblee thought that Romberg was going to the roof. However, Romberg went off into a side room. Kimblee followed and immediately took his place against the wall. He leaned against the cold concrete, watching Romberg set up his equipment. Romberg was meticulously slow about this. It never took this long for Romberg to set up and Kimblee wondered why he was drawing this out.

When he started loading the rifle, Romberg suddenly asked, "Was I wrong about what kind of person Naminé was?"

Kimblee's expression changed. _Now_ Romberg had something to say. "I don't know. You love her right?"

"I told you I was going to marry her, didn't I?" Romberg stopped what he was doing and put the rifle down. He stood up, but his gaze was focused out the window. "Did you remember that at any point while you were fucking her?"

Kimblee remained unfazed. "When she's telling you how she wants it, that's the farthest thing from your mind."

"So that makes it okay?" Romberg finally faced Kimblee. "It's okay," he started, "to sleep with the woman _I _love, a woman you said you want nothing to do with, behind my back? When, huh, when?"

"When what?"

"When did she start cheating on me? Was it right after I left? Did you wait a few weeks? Or was it even before Ishbal? Tell me!"

Kimblee looked at Romberg. The man's calm façade was gone; he was livid. The alchemist looked away. "It's been over fifteen minutes," Kimblee said as he headed for the door. "Just focus on what you have to-!" At the click of a gun, the alchemist stopped walking. His original intentions were to leave Romberg alone with his own thoughts but apparently that wouldn't be any time soon. Perhaps never.

"I guess you didn't forget your pistol after all." Kimblee was at a disadvantage but he wouldn't dare let any of his concerns be known.

"For how long?" Romberg asked again, his voice dangerously low.

"Don't worry-!"

"For how long?"

"...Only a few days, Romberg."

"You expect me to believe that?"

Kimblee turned around and found himself looking down the barrel of pistol. Slowly he lifted his gaze to Romberg's face. A part of him wanted to be jerk about this, say everything that would probably hurt or offend Romberg. But he knew that would guarantee not seeing Naminé a few days from now. "I do. I'm telling you what you want to know."

Romberg's arm became unsteady, causing the pistol to shake in his hand. However, he didn't move off target. "Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why did she choose you over me? Why?"

Kimblee stared at Romberg. The man was breaking down right in front of him and at the moment, the Crimson Alchemist didn't know what to say or do.

"Was I simply not good enough? Was she lying the whole time? Did she even..."

Kimblee averted his gaze. "If you asked Naminé, I'm sure she'll tell you everything. Despite everything, she's not a terrible person."

Romberg finally dropped his arm. If she didn't want to be with him from the beginning, he would have been okay with that. Sure, it might have hurt back then but the pain he was feeling now was even worse. He had been betrayed by the one person he thought had loved him deeply.

Screams and shouts from outside pulled him out of his thoughts. "Are Ishbalans attack-!" He had barely twisted around to look out the window, just to see what was going on, when he felt something ripped open his chest. He knew something was wrong. He couldn't feel anything anymore and the world around him was becoming less and less real. He dropped to the floor.

"Romberg?" A second bullet whizzed through the window and Kimblee ducked. He made his way to where Romberg lied, staying below the windows. "Romberg?" He said. There was no reply. Staying as low as he could, he carefully moved in and checked Romberg's pulse. Nothing.

If there was anything to feel sorry for, he didn't have time to feel it. Already, he could hear angry voices as feet thundered up the stairwell. Just judging by the sound alone, he was badly outnumbered. He looked at the pistol Romberg had been holding and thought having a last stand. However, his instincts finally started to kick in. He could use a firearm when he needed to but his specialty was bombs. And staring at Romberg's body, he realized he had more than enough sulfur to get the job done.

Naminé wouldn't approve of this. She would probably hate him for sacrificing Romberg's body to make a bomb. But right now, his life held a little more value than keeping a dead person's body intact. He clapped his hands together. He would set the bomb to go off in the next ten seconds, buying enough time to transmute a wall to protect him from the explosion. Maybe, just maybe, he would get out of this alive.

* * *

Naminé looked out of the train window. The military had been nice enough to drop her out to the nearest train station earlier this morning. She hadn't gotten a chance to see Romberg, Kimblee, or Isabelle before she left. She was glad she had been able to say her goodbyes to them last night. She wouldn't feel right if she hadn't, leaving them knowing the war could take the most unpredictable of turns.

She didn't know how long it would take her mother to get well again or how long she would end up staying in her hometown of Bellaruse. Hopefully it wouldn't take too long. She wanted to greet her friends when they returned from Ishbal.

She would have some many things to do at that point. She would have to tell Romberg the truth. She would have to explain how everything just went downhill when he had left. She knew why. She had always had feelings for Kimblee and she could have only denied them for so long. She knew Romberg was not going to take the news well. Who would?

Then she would have to figure everything out with Kimblee. She needed to know where they would go from here. Would they wait for everything else settle before they became serious? Could she even wait that long? Naminé sighed. She supposed that as long as she had Kimblee nearby, she would be okay.


	27. Chapter 27: The Memorial Service

**A/N: This chapter is a pretty short one, probably because it's the conclusion to the pre-FMA storyline. Next time, we will actually hit the main storyline. Thanks to UnderTheHood and Tj for reviewing. I don't have much to say except enjoy the chapter!**

**CHAPTER 27—The Memorial Service:**

Vi opened her apartment door and was surprised to see Mel so soon.

"She's not okay, is she?" Mel asked. Mel had just returned from a trip to the Central City. When she had gotten news from Vi about everything that she had missed, she had hurried straight over. Kimblee was in prison. Romberg was dead. Kimblee was possibly responsible for the death of Romberg in addition to the ones he had committed. And Naminé was caught in the middle of all this. That was why Naminé was staying with Vi; the woman was at her wits' ends.

Vi sighed and stepped aside, allowing Mel inside. She closed the door. "She's not. She blames herself for Romberg's death."

"Why?" Mel said. "She can't control Kimblee's actions!"

"Yeah but she suggested that maybe Kimblee didn't believe that she would break things off with Romberg."

"What?"

Vi sighed and took her original seat on her couch. "Naminé said she cheated on Romberg with Kimblee."

"_What?"_ Mel sat next to her best friend, frowning. When had _this_ happened? Last time she checked, Naminé and Kimblee were platonic... "It was the Festival, right?"

Vi shrugged. "She said nothing 'serious' happened until after she left South City."

"...You think Romberg found out?"

Vi shrugged. "When Naminé visited Kimblee in prison, that was before he was accused of Romberg's death. So she never asked him and she's not going to now because she doesn't want to see him."

"I see." Mel never would have imagined all this craziness would have happened when Naminé joined the military. She had thought Naminé would just help people and take on simple assignments in which nothing could go _drastically_ wrong. In fact it had seemed like a pretty cool job when Naminé would share what had happened on missions and how ridiculous her team had been acting. At least it seemed cool in the beginning. After that, things became more serious. There had been the Coal Mines assignment that kept Naminé in the hospital for weeks. Then there was the war...

Mel stood up and started walking toward where the guest bedroom was. "She's not sleeping, right?"

"She should be up."

Mel stood in front of the door for a moment before knocking on it. There was no reply. That didn't stop her from twisting the doorknob and opening the door. She saw Naminé sitting on the bed, still dressed in pajamas despite it being four o'clock in the afternoon. She closed the door behind her and came over, sitting next to the brunette.

"I don't know where to start talking," Mel said.

"Anywhere's fine," Naminé said, her voice coming out hoarse.

"How's your mom doing?"

"Okay now. It wasn't as dire as Kaili made it out to be."

"I see... You didn't kill anyone in Ishbal, right?"

"In a way, kinda," she said. "I didn't stop other soldiers from killing. I definitely didn't stop Kimblee... Now that I think about it, the only person I killed was someone I thought had killed him. Why? I don't know. Maybe if he had died that night, everything would be better."

"You don't mean that."

"I do. Romberg would have definitely survived the war. He survived for so long because he was that good at what he did. Kimblee must have snuck up on him or something."

"Why would Kimblee do that?"

"I don't know. He definitely didn't have a good reason for killing those other men."

"But you still love him, right? Kimblee, I mean." Instead of responding, Naminé rested her head on Mel's shoulder. Mel wrapped a comforting arm around her friend, not sure of what else to do in this situation. Like she had thought moments ago, she could only imagine what was going through Naminé's mind.

"I've been such a fool, Mel."

"No, Naminé. You haven't."

* * *

Naminé didn't want to go the memorial service for Romberg. Even if Mel and Vi offered their company, she still didn't want to go. She would have to face so many people, including Romberg's parents and the people she worked with at HQ. Did they know? Rumors spread like wildfire and she was aware that Isabelle had been in South City for a while now. However, she had come to the conclusion that she should go or else people would talk.

Dressed in all black and flanked by her best friends on either side, she went and sat down in the packed church. Others, mostly the men, stood against the back wall. Various members of Romberg's family spoke about how great of a person Thaddeus Romberg was. Surprisingly, Gran even got to say a few words. A few people looked at her as if they were expecting a few words from her. But she couldn't go up there. What did she say to people when she knew she had been the cause of his death? She didn't need to break down in front of so many people.

When it was over, everyone slowly went outside. People ended up moving between the groups that were formed. For the most part, Naminé stuck by Vi and Mel.

"That wasn't so bad, right, Naminé?" Mel asked.

Naminé shook her head as she looked around. Unfortunately she spotted Romberg's parents. It was brief but she had made eye contact with his father. She sighed. "I'll be back," she told her friends. Reluctantly she went over there to say hi. Once she reached them, she forced a smile and stuck her hand out for a handshake. But that must have been too formal; Thad's mother didn't hesitate to sweep her up in a hug. Naminé awkwardly hugged the woman back.

The guilt sank even deeper into the pit of her stomach. "I... I loved him, too."

"He was going to ask you to marry him," Mr. Romberg told her. "After the war." Tears started to swell into the father's eyes and he blinked them away. He looked into Naminé's troubled blue eyes. He had told her that bit of information, just so she knew exactly how much she meant to his son. But maybe... The man's wife sobbed louder and he wrapped an arm around her. "If you'll excuse us, Naminé."

Naminé nodded and Thad's parents left to probably mourn in private. _Maybe I should go, too._ She wasn't all that eager to talk to anyone. Every time Thad was brought up, she felt guiltier and guiltier.

"I'm surprised that you're here."

Naminé turned around and saw Isabelle glaring at her. "Isabelle. How are you-!"

_SMACK!_

Heads turned in their direction. Naminé stood there with a surprised look on her face. She reached for her stinging red cheek in disbelief.

"You got some nerve to show yourself here, Naminé," Isabelle said, her voice dangerously low. "You have no right to show your face here. Not with everything that happened in Ishbal."

"What are you talking about?"

"You know what I'm talking. I know all about you and Kimblee."

Naminé's blue eyes widened. Finally, she knew where Isabelle was going with this. She just wished that there wasn't an audience. She regained her composure and stood up tall. She wanted to leave and mourn in private but she'd be damned if she let Isabelle do this to her now. "You don't know anything, Isabelle."

"I know you clearly didn't give a crap about Romberg. It was why you went so easily behind his back—"

"It was nothing like that," Naminé said under her breathe.

"And had your fling with Kimblee. It wouldn't surprise me if it started the moment Romberg left to risk his life every day. And it wouldn't surprise me if you told Kimblee to kill Romberg, too."

Naminé's fist connected with Isabelle's jaw, sending the blonde crashing to the ground. There were a few gasps but she was too angry to care. Isabelle sat on the ground, clutching her red jaw and trying not to break down.

"How dare you," Naminé said, her fists trembling. "How dare you even _say_ something like that?" She felt a hand on her shoulder and she turned around. Vi and Mel were right there with looks of concern on their faces.

"Let's go, Naminé," Mel practically pleaded.

The brunette stared hopelessly at her. Mel took her by the wrist and pulled her away from the situation, from Isabelle. Only Vi stayed behind.

She got down next to Isabelle, pushing her sunglasses further up the bridge of her nose. "I'll tell you something right now. If you even try to make Naminé's time at work a hard one, I will deal with you."

All Isabelle did was glare at her. Where did she get off to threaten her? But she had been already been punched once. She didn't need it to happen again.

Vi stood up and left to catch up with her friends. While she didn't like what Naminé had done, she wasn't going to leave Naminé to the wolves. However, later that week, she would found out that she didn't have to worry about that.

* * *

"You want to be transferred?" Gran questioned, holding the documents in his hand. His eyes left the papers and looked at Naminé. She was standing in front of his desk, looking a lot better than she had looked at the memorial service. When she nodded, he quirked an eyebrow. First he had lost Romberg, then Kimblee, and now Naminé wanted to go to Central. At this point his little team at South HQ was practically done. "Why?"

"I just need a change of scenery."

"And you think you'll find that in Central? It's the same military."

"But different people, sir. And new distractions."

"The best of the best is over there. They'll eat you alive far worse than what Isabelle can do to you."

She stared at him, surprised by his words. Then she remembered that he had been at the service as well. He must have witness Isabelle calling her out in front everyone. Which meant that he probably had seen her punch a fellow officer in the face. She sighed and looked at her black military boots, worn out from all the missions she had completed the past several months. All the missions with Romberg and...

Naminé looked back up again. "I'll be fine in Central, sir."

If she wanted to go to Central, that was fine. After his major contributions in the war, Basque Gran was bound to move up in the ranks and maybe having to worry about a team would only slow him down. And since Isabelle was one person, she could easily be transferred to another group within HQ. "All the necessary information is filled out, right?"

"Yes sir."

"I'll take care of the rest, then."

"Thank you so much, sir."

"Thomson?"

"Yes sir?"

"Take the rest of the day off."

"Thank you," she said. Sighing but this time out of relief, she walked out of the office. Naminé just wanted to move on and now it seemed like she had the chance to. The last time she had been to Central City was when she had taken the State Examination. In a way, she was going back to the beginning of it all. _I guess this will be a fresh start for me._


	28. Chapter 28: Return to the South

**A/N: Sorry it has been forever! College happened and ended up taking so much of my time. But now that's it summer, I'm hoping that I can finish this and another story before I return to school in September. Thanks to people who've been reading up this point. I was happy to see that people are favoriting this and adding it to their alert lists. Thanks to thegriffin88 and UnderTheHood for their reviews months ago. Enjoy the chappie!**

**CHAPTER 28 – Return to the South:**

_Seven years later..._

The cries of a child begging for her father were not something Naminé wanted to hear. Especially when that father was Maes Hughes. After going to Central six years ago, she hadn't been herself. Without her support system, alcohol had become one of her best friends for a while. It didn't help her forget about Romberg and Kimblee but at least it numbed that feeling of regret. For that longest while, alcohol seemed like her only option. Then one evening, she met Hughes and he pulled her out of there, saying something about how she was destroying herself.

She spotted Roy standing by Hughes' graves. By his side was a blonde woman, probably his subordinate. Slowly Naminé approached them. She didn't want to interrupt them but she had to ask Roy something.

"Roy?" She said when she was close enough. The blonde woman turned around, surprised to see someone else there.

Roy turned around. He hadn't expected to see her. "You came back to Central a few weeks ago, right? Did Hughes say anything to you during that time?"

Naminé was crestfallen. That was pretty much what she wanted to ask Roy. "No. Nothing as to why anyone would want him dead." She turned toward the blonde woman and sheepishly smiled. "Sorry for being so rude. I'm Naminé Thomson."

"Riza Hawkeye," she replied curtly, shaking Naminé's hand.

"Hawkeye?" Naminé repeated, the name sounding so familiar. Then she remembered. Hawkeye was known for her sniping during the Ishbalan War. Just for a second, Romberg came to mind but she quickly pushed that thought to the farthest corner of her mind. "Oh yeah. I've heard about you during the War."

"So you were in Ishbal then?" Riza asked.

"Unfortunately yes." Naminé sighed. "Back then, I didn't always agree with the way the Military operated. Nowadays, I don't know what think sometimes. I figured that maybe Hughes found something he wasn't supposed to." She looked back at Roy, hoping that he would say something. However, he didn't. She looked at Riza Hawkeye for help.

"Colonel," Riza said, looking at Roy.

Roy sighed. He wasn't his confident, maybe even cocky, self. He looked desolated, which made sense considering the circumstances. "I only know bits and pieces, Naminé," Roy finally admitted.

"That's more than what I know."

"I can't tell you. I would only be putting your life in danger."

"So? You'll be risking _your_ life to find out what happened to him."

"You have no proof of that." She raised an eyebrow, clearly calling his bluff. Still Roy didn't deter. "Besides, if Hughes wanted to involve you, he would have done so. He knew you had bigger things to worry about."

"I don't," she said.

"Are you forgetting about the problem with your recent promotion?"

Naminé slightly narrowed her eyes. "I guess Hughes told you."

"He might have mentioned it." He looked her over. Not much had changed about Naminé. She still had the same auburn hair and the same soft look in her blue eyes. She still carried herself the same poised way. Maybe the only difference was that she came off as more independent, like she didn't need anyone's help. "I'm sorry for the way I'm acting," he apologized. "I haven't seen you in more than six years. If circumstances were different, I would be very happy to see you again."

"I know."

"I bet you have a lot of amazing stories about being out West, huh?"

She smiled a bit. "You can say that. I'll have to tell you about them some other time."

"Right," he agreed. "Well, Hawkeye and I need to go to the train station."

"Heading back east already?"

Roy nodded. "There's a lot that needs to be taken care of at Eastern HQ."

"Okay. Take care then." She watched as Roy and Riza left. When they were out of sight, she turned toward Hughes' tombstone and silently paid her respects. Suddenly she heard footsteps.

It was a tall man with slicked-back dark brown hair and pale skin. It was probably why his blue eyes seemed to stand out. Based on his uniform, she saw that he was ranked as a lieutenant colonel. Reluctantly, she raised her right hand to her forehead.

He smiled a bit too smugly for her liking. "At ease, soldier. Thomson, right?"

"Should I know you?" She asked.

"Lieutenant Colonel Frank Archer," he said. "You'll be working under me in Southern HQ. I'm sure you've been notified about your transfer."

"I have," Naminé said slowly. She was aware that the lieutenant colonel was supposed to be her boss in Southern HQ but she had believed that she wouldn't meet the man for another few days, when she was _actually_ in South City. She tried to find her center. "It's nice to meet you, Lieutenant Colonel."

"The pleasure is mine."

Naminé took a deep breath. She wouldn't have pegged him as the gentleman-type. Unless it was an act. _Just like Kimb... _She quickly got rid of that thought. "I should go now. Goodbye, sir." She walked past him, somewhat glad to get away.

"Thomson," Archer suddenly said. Naminé stopped walking. "If you want, we can discuss your job over coffee this afternoon. If you're interested."

* * *

The lieutenant colonel had picked a small coffee shop in Central. Thanks to their military uniforms, they had gotten a few stares from customers. At the same time, they got good service. A waitress led them to table for two in the back and took their order. Five minutes later, the waitress came back with two coffees, one black, the other with milk and a spoonful of sugar.

Naminé silently drank her sweetened coffee. All the while, she was studying Archer. She couldn't figure out where Archer was coming from and to make it worse, he wasn't revealing much. He was also drinking his coffee, but instead of having the same scrutiny she did, he was acting nonchalant about the situation.

"So," she started, eager to break the silence. "Did you request me or did the military assign me to you?"

"You were going to be transferred to Southern HQ regardless but I decided I wanted you as my subordinate there. You see, I'm going there in a week so it was only a matter of convenience. Plus your achievements out on the Amestrian-Cretan border caught my attention. Funny though: you did nothing extraordinary before being transferred to Western HQ. Even in Ishbal, your contributions were minimal at best. What changed?"

Naminé looked down. "No distractions, I guess."

"You mean like Isabelle Stonewall, Zolf J. Kimblee, and Thaddeus Romberg?" He saw the change in her expression. He smiled, pleased that he had apparently hit something close to home. "I'm also aware of your relationship with one of them."

"Romberg, right?"

"Who else? Although," he said as an afterthought, "I've heard that you and Kimblee were pretty close. Kimblee killing Romberg was the ultimate betrayal, right? It makes sense why you requested to be transferred from Southern HQ to Central. Why leave from Central though?"

"Central was nice but I needed to room to grow."

"Was Roy Mustang preventing you?"

She frowned. "No. Why are you asking all these questions when you seem to have all your facts about me?"

"Facts can only tell me so much about who you are, Thomson. I'm going to be honest. The first few years of your military career were unremarkable. Even your state examinations each year were barely satisfactory. I'm just trying to see if the improvement was authentic or not."

She narrowed her eyes. "How would it not be authentic?"

"It could be a case of surrounding soldiers making you look good, which is partially why your promotion is in question. The rest of it has to do with your achievements being a direct result of your inability to follow orders."

"So why do you want me as your subordinate?" She asked.

"I'm currently heading an investigation that might need muscle, for the lack of a better word. I already have one state alchemist who's going to work for me. Are you familiar with the Strong Arm Alchemist?" She nodded and he continued. "I figured that you could be my second one."

"I see," she said, picking up her coffee again. "What are you investigating?"

"The mystery of Laboratory Five," he replied coolly. "I don't know if you're aware of what happened there."

"I'm vaguely aware," she said. "It got destroyed a while back."

"We're trying to find out who's responsible," he went on. "Our current lead is pointing down South."

"Which is why you're going there."

"Precisely."

Naminé drank more of her coffee and Archer followed suit, giving her time to sort her thoughts. If she had known that a trip to Central would end up actually being a trip to South City, she would have put it off as long as possible. "Is there anything else I should know about this investigation?"

"Not yet," he said, standing up. "But I recommend refreshing your knowledge on homunculi and the Philosopher's Stone. If you have time, look up chimeras as well." He reached into his pocket and pulled out enough money to cover their coffee. "I'll see you in a few days, Thomson."

* * *

_A few days later..._

"Where is she?"

Kaili Thomson had been waiting for her older sister in South City market for the past ten minutes. Naminé said that she would have a break from work now and if memory served correctly, Southern HQ was not that far away. Maybe one of Naminé's superiors was keeping her back for something. Naminé did say the military had been busy these days.

It had been six years since Kaili had last seen her sister. She wondered if Naminé would even recognize her. Now eighteen, she was probably a little taller than her sister. Her long dirty blonde hair was halfway down her back. Maybe the only thing that hadn't changed was her bright blue eyes. She had told her sister that she would be wearing a white dress and a sunhat, to make her easier to spot.

Deciding to at least entertain herself, she decided to look around the market. Peaches caught her eye and she no longer paid attention to where she was walking. A second later, she bumped into someone.

"Sorry!" She said so quickly before looking at the man she had crashed into. What immediately caught her attention was the dangerous look in the man's golden eyes. But it didn't scare her completely. She was caught off guard by how familiar it looked. "Have we met before?" She asked, tilting her head to the side.

Her blue eyes swept over him, trying to take in his build. The only thing that gave her any indication to it was the black muscle shirt he was wearing. The baggy purple suit was hiding whether he was strong and lean or just wimpy. The top of his black hair seemed to be cut short but the rest of it was pulled back. Just for a second, she thought she had something. She met his eyes again, curiosity getting the best of her now. She took a step closer. The guy was taken back by her boldness.

"Are you maybe a friend of my sister?"

"Your sister?" The guy repeated.

"Yeah," Kaili said. "She should be here soon. Hopefully."

"...Is she in the military?"

"Yep."

At this, he smirked. "I better be off then." He tried to walk away but the young woman cut him off.

"Please stay! I'm sure she'll be happy to see you! She just got back to South City. She hasn't seen any of her old friends yet."

"Kaili!"

The young woman turned away. When she saw her sister, she left the man and ran over. She gave her sister a big hug. "I missed you so much! How have you been, Naminé?" Kaili pulled away and saw that Naminé's attention was on the man..

"Oh, right," Kaili said, eager to reintroduce to the two. "This guy apparently knows you. I think you used to work together or something?" The color drained from her sister's face and Kaili frowned. Kaili then looked at the man and saw that he didn't look so thrilled either. "Is something wrong?"

Something was very wrong indeed. Kimblee's first thought was that he had to deal with the military. But he didn't think he had to deal with _her_. He wasn't sure if he should deny knowing her but maybe the sound of his voice would only reinforce the thoughts going through her mind. He thought about running away but that wouldn't help either. Then he saw an anger flaring in the soldier's eyes.

"Move back, Kaili," Naminé ordered.

"O-okay," Kaili said, backing up. She looked between her sister and the man. Maybe this had been a bad idea.

"Let me see your hands," Naminé said quietly, taking a step forward. She wanted to attack but what if she was wrong? _He _was supposed to be dead. He was executed over six years ago. It was even on military record. The military would never make such a stupid mistake about that, especially since it was someone who killed his fellow comrades in battle. _Romberg_, she remembered. It seemed that this week, the past had been coming back to haunt her and this was its best trick yet.

Kimblee smirked and lifted up his hands, revealing the alchemic tattoos on his palms. When he saw the horror on her face, he felt pleased that he had just turned her world upside down. That was the case until she raised her arm and snapped her fingers.

Kimblee moved out of the way, barely dodging her lightning bolt. She snapped her fingers again and again he moved out of the way. This was not the woman he had remembered. The woman he knew would have probably broken down or at least demanded why he was still alive. This woman seemed determined to set right what the military hadn't all those years back.

Naminé kept snapping her fingers in rapid succession and he kept dodging her attacks. It was becoming more frustrating. She could already feel that pain in her heart when she had learned about Romberg's death and that anger she had when she had heard what Kimblee had done. The people in the market place were already running away, which was good – she didn't need any distractions.

"Naminé," Kaili said, clearly shocked. "What's going on?"

"Get out of here," Naminé said. "I'll find you later."

"Alright."

Naminé checked over her shoulder and made sure her sister got out of here. That was a bad move on her part. She was suddenly tackled hard into the ground. Kimblee clapped his hands, itching to make some fireworks. However, she grabbed hold of his wrists, making sure he didn't touch her. The last thing she wanted was to be turned into a bomb but he was stronger than her. Every second, he got closer in overpowering her. Using all her effort, she kicked him off of her.

Naminé quickly got to her feet and put some distance between them. He was barely on his feet when she snapped her fingers, hoping to catch him off guard. However, he managed to step out of the way. She glared at him as she tried to ignore the throbbing in her back. The problem was, he knew her. It might have been years since he had last seen her but he seemed able to predict her every move. _Maybe it's the delay between when I snap and when the lightning bolt hits the ground_, she thought. Preparing herself mentally, she moved in.

Kimblee stepped back, dodging the first of her punches. _She's gotten better_, he thought, barely feeling her fist graze his face. _And I spent most of my time at the Devil's Nest doing nothing_.

He took off running and Naminé chased after him. Up ahead, just rounding the corner, was an old man.

"Get out of here!" Naminé shouted.

The old man looked up and stared in their direction. But there was no way that man would be able to hobble away fast enough with his cane. Kimblee grinned and clapped his hands.

Naminé's eyes widened. "No!"

Kimblee grabbed the old man. Suddenly there was the bright light that the Lightning Alchemist knew all too well.

Naminé stopped running and started backing up when Kimblee threw the old man toward her.

_BOOM!_


	29. Chapter 29: Believe It or Not

**A/N: Another quick update. This chapter has a couple of flashbacks from **_**The Lightning That Thunders**_**. There are some differences though, most noticeable the POV (this time it's Kimblee's perspective) plus the fact that it's rewritten. Thanks to DarkestInk, Arinlianette, and UnderTheHood for their reviews. I think that next chapter should be out around next weekend. It seems weekends are when I'm mostly free, considering that I intern during the week and come home very late. Enjoy!**

**CHAPTER 29 – Believe It or Not:**

_BOOM!_

Naminé flew back. She fell down on the pavement hard, scraping the palms of her hands. She laid there for a moment, her mind still reeling from what Kimblee had just done. He had blown up an old man without a care in the world. Like it was the easiest thing to do. Did Romberg's last moments on earth go by that quickly or did Kimblee slowly drag it out?

Naminé forced herself to get up, barely catching a glimpse of Kimblee disappearing around the street corner. _I can't let him escape_, she thought as she rose to her feet. She ran after him, following him around the corner.

She spotted him up ahead, leisurely walking away. He looked so out of place with everyone else trying to figure what had happened just around the corner. Without hesitation, she snapped her fingers. The lightning bolt barely missed her target.

Kimblee turned around. "You just won't give up, will you?"

People now looked at her and Kimblee. Immediately she remembered the poor old man who hadn't stood a chance. "Everyone, get away from this area!" She ordered, not willing to give the mad bomber the ammunition he needed. There were hushes as the people stood back from the two alchemists, some actually listening and leaving the area. But there were still too many civilians around for her liking. "Get out of here now!" She said, trying again. "This man is highly dangerous!"

Kimblee clapped his hands. "You shouldn't under estimate me."

Naminé unleashed another lightning bolt but Kimblee dodged. She thought he was going to create another human bomb but instead he touched the side of a building. He flashed Naminé a sadistic grin before he transmuted part of the building into a bomb.

The explosion was much bigger than the last one the last one, a lot more. Rubble fell on the sidewalk, probably crushing who knew how many people and unleashing a cloud of dust. She raised her arm to stop any dust from blinding her. _Why now?_ She had dealt with crap on the border but at least it had been somewhat manageable. This was ridiculous.

Kimblee stepped out of the smoke, throwing up a small rock in his hand.

"You're supposed to be dead!"

"Am I?" He stopped tossing the rock. There was an alchemic glow in his hand. He threw the explosive rock at her. With precision, Naminé struck it with a lightning bolt, causing it to disintegrate into almost nothing.

He smirked. "Naminé Thomson, the Lightning Alchemist. It's been a long time." He approached her but she moved back immediately. He frowned a bit, wary about her change in tactic. Before, she had charged at him, taking the offensive and being unrelenting with her attacks. Now, she was acting like she was scared. For all he knew, she could be trying to lure him closer. That determined look was still on her face after all.

"If you come any closer, I'll kill you!" She threatened.

He stopped, not because he took her threat seriously but because he was confused. Wasn't she going to kill him anyway? Why else was she hunting him down? He clapped his hands again. "Try it, babe!" Before she could respond, he touched the street. The street caved into the sewers below. Naminé ended up falling on her bottom in the disgusting sewer water as Kimblee landed on his feet on some rubble.

The sunlight entered the gaping hole above them but behind them both was darkness and most likely, Naminé would use it to evade him. He, however, planned on using it to take her down. Unlike Naminé, he had killer instincts and because he knew her, he could at least predict some of her movements. And just like he had thought, she headed for whatever safety the darkness had to offer.

Carefully, he moved across the rubble, trying not to disturb any loose rocks. Then he moved along the side of the sewers, following the narrow walkway. The smell was awful and the stench only worsened once the gaping hole was no longer above him. Up ahead he could hear her breathing, her footsteps echoing from somewhere up ahead. He moved a little faster, getting more daring as thoughts of catching her off guard entered his mind. Her footsteps were getting louder which meant he was closing in. Sure enough he could see a dark figure moving up ahead. He moved even faster, keeping his noise level to a minimum. Then he made a crucial mistake. He missed the walkway and stepped into the dirty stream.

The footsteps stopped and he paused. Quickly he removed his foot from the sewage. Not sooner than a second later, he heard a snap and a lightning bolt struck the sewage nearby. The flash of light was enough to see that she was only ten feet away.

"Bastard!" She snapped her fingers again and he dodged the attack. Then he moved in. In less than a moment, he closed the distance between. He clapped his hands and reached out for her. Naminé stepped out of the way and into the sewage, nearly losing her footing. Before she could even consider her next move, Kimblee tackled her.

There was a bit of the struggle but soon Kimblee had Naminé face-up under the sewage. There was a few gurgling sounds as he held her there, pinning her with his bodyweight. After a while, he pulled her up by the wrists.

Naminé took a big breath of air, trying to recover from her near drowning experience. For the first time in years, she was so close to his face. Even in the darkness, she could still make out his features. His golden eyes stood out so well and because he had pulled her that close, she felt that if they inhaled deeply at the same time, their chests would barely touch. It had been a while since she had felt so powerless but she still fought to keep a strong front.

"So, what are you going to do to me?" She challenged.

Kimblee smirked. "I was thinking of blowing you up but that would be too easy."

"Like it was for Romberg?"

Kimblee raised an eyebrow. She had practically spat those words at him. "Romberg... Why bring him up?"

"Because you killed him!"

Now it made sense. He should have remembered that his long list of crimes included the death of Thaddeus Romberg. And all these years, she had been angry at him for it. It was funny how the military had spun that tale. They had painted Romberg as a dedicated, well-meaning soldier that fell during battle thanks to the psychotic, bomb-happy, uncontrollable Crimson Alchemist. He had already killed other soldiers according to witness accounts. Why should Romberg be the exception? A part of Kimblee wanted to explain to Naminé what had happened but he knew the brunette wouldn't believe him. Not under these conditions.

His smirk returned. "What difference would it make if I hadn't? All that would have happened is that he would marry you."

Naminé stared in surprise. _He knew that Romberg was going to propose to me? _She hadn't known until the funeral!

Kimblee continued. "Not like it matters anyway. You weren't _that_ loyal to him in the first place, were you, babe?"

"Shut up!" She didn't mean to lose her cool but he had dealt a low blow.

"Since when have I listened to you?" She started to struggle but he maintained his hold on her. Somehow, he managed to hold both wrists with one hand, leaving the other free. He reached behind her back and into the sewage. He tugged the back of her blouse from out of her pants and moved underneath it. Immediately, she tried to arch away from his touch. Kimblee almost laughed out loud. She acted as if she had forgotten what his touch could do to her.

His hand moved higher until his fingers brushed against where her alchemic tattoo should be. He saw the look of horror on her face and smirked. "What's wrong, babe? Don't like the idea of me blowing you up piece by piece?" First he would blow the tattoo off. Then he would do what he pleased.

Before he could even begin, he heard voices. _I guess the military finally decided to arrive. _In any other circumstances, he would fight them. However, fighting them meant letting Naminé go. If he didn't let her go, well, chances were the soldiers didn't come empty-handed. He removed his hand from under her shirt and stood up, still holding onto her wrists. Then he finally let go of her wrists. "I'll take care of you some other time."

Naminé sat there helplessly in the sewage, watching him disappear. _"You have the potential to be the most beautiful bomb I can ever make but I would never turn you into one."_

"Liar," she found herself muttering in the darkness. Suddenly the sewer became bright. She looked behind her and saw that there were military men there, a few of which were holding lanterns. She stood up, groaning when the sewage made a squelch sound. "Hey," she said awkwardly. "How did you find me so quickly?" She took a deep breath when they continued to stare in shock. She could only imagine how terrible she looked.

* * *

"You expect me to believe that all that damage was done by one man?" Archer asked from behind his desk. His temporary office was a small one but that was mostly because his arrival to South City was short notice. There were a few unpacked boxes and some green curtains hanging by the two windows but besides that, the room was practically bare. Archer glanced at the alchemist's report again, which looked more skeptical than when Naminé went through the story herself. He arched an eyebrow, waiting for the brunette's answer.

"Yes sir," she said after awhile. She was sitting across from him. After taking a long shower and changing into her gym clothes, she was feeling better. The only thing was that her wet hair that was dripping on her t-shirt but it seemed so minor compared to the crap she had been fighting in.

Archer went through the report again. "You claimed that a man with a few grenades blew a man to nothing, destroyed part of a building, and blew up the street. You also claimed that this bomber managed to keep you, an alchemist, at bay without much difficulty."

"There was some difficulty," Naminé corrected.

"I think you're lying, Thomson," Archer said, finally putting the report down. He leaned back into his chair but his blue eyes never left hers. Naminé was trying to be unreadable but he had seen that quick loss of composure at his words. She was definitely hiding something about what had taken place in the market. "Was there more than one person involved?"

"No."

"Was it someone you knew that committed the crime?" She hesitated and he smiled. "Why are you protecting this person? He, or she," he added for good measure, "killed five people today and injured at least two dozen. It wasn't your sister, right?" He remembered hearing that Naminé was going to meet the young Kaili Thomson today but Naminé quickly shook her head.

"Then who are you trying to protect?"

"I'm not trying to protect him, Lieutenant Colonel," she said, trying to not explode. "That's the last I'll ever do for that man."

He examined her for a moment. "Then why are hiding valuable information?"

"Because if I told you the truth, you would not believe me."

"Try me."

Naminé looked away, not sure if she should even bother. But after some thought, she found herself muttering, "The Crimson Alchemist."

Archer gave her a funny look. "He was executed by the military, Thomson. I personally saw the file when I was doing a background check on you."

"I know who I saw today."

Archer gave her a false reassuring smile, as if she was losing her mind right before his eyes. "Why don't you take the rest of the day off? Get some rest. Apparently, the death of your friend has affected you more than you know."

Naminé got up and nearly stormed out of the office. She should have known that Archer wouldn't believe her. The only way a person would ever believe a dead man was walking was to see it with their own two eyes. She headed down the hallway, lost in her thoughts. Somewhere, out in South City, Kimblee was running loose, wreaking all kinds of havoc. It was surprising that up to now, there had been no reports about explosions.

She stopped walking. Now that she thought about it, Vi was supposed to come down from Central tomorrow. Her sister and Mel were still nearby. She could call in sick tomorrow and organize a hunt for the Crimson Alchemist. They might take some convincing but she was sure she could at least convince them to come. She wasn't about to let Kimblee get away with what he had done today nor with what he had done in Ishbal.

* * *

"Then there was boom, boom, boom!" Bido exclaimed as he recounted his version of today's events to Greed and the others. He hadn't left the Devil's Nest the same time as Kimblee but he had eventually spotted the man in the market with that alchemist. What had happened had been a pleasant surprise. He looked at Kimblee. "Did you kill her?" He hadn't seen what had happened once they went underground.

Kimblee was sitting by the bar, pouring himself another shot. He couldn't believe he had been followed. He was kind of hoping that despite how he had looked and smell upon his return to the Devil's Nest, he could still fudge some of today's events. However Bido had such a big mouth. He sipped his drink, taking his time about answering but then he heard a hiss from across the room. He smirked at the snake chimera before looking at Bido. "Nope. She's still alive."

"Oh?" Greed said, clearly surprised. The two women sitting on either side of him snuggled in closer. They were trying to divert his attention for a moment but the homunculus's was still on the Crimson Alchemist. "Why didn't you? You seemed to be having some fun today."

"Because the military showed up," Kimblee explained. "It would be too difficult taking Naminé and armed soldiers at once."

"So it was a female and a familiar one at that," Greed concluded. "Was she a lover?"

Kimblee smirked. "You can say that. I sure knew her intimately enough." He thought about every sinful thing they had done together, every bit of lust they had tried to satisfy. She had always acted so innocent back then but he had known better. He had known what she was capable of. But the woman he ran into today, he couldn't say the same thing about her. At least that had been the case until Romberg was brought up. She had acted like the pain was still fresh and for those few moments when he had her pinned, he had seen the woman he had known under the hardened exterior.

He hoped to see Naminé Thomson soon. 'Soon' would come a lot quicker than expected.


	30. Chapter 30: Into the Devil's Nest

**A/N: I didn't think it would be such a long break. I think I was on a roll, then I got to Chapter 30, and got writer's block. Anyway, I decided to finally rewrite it. Thanks to UnderTheHood, DarkestInk, and Anonymous for the reviews from way back when. Hopefully Chapter 31 doesn't take too long to write.**

**CHAPTER 30 – Into the Devil's Nest:**

"All witness accounts say that our man was heading north yesterday afternoon," Naminé said, tracing a path on a detailed map of South City. Her finger reached the city border and crossed into the next city. "It wouldn't surprise me if he's hiding in Dublith."

Naminé had recruited Mel and Vi on her mission today. Since morning until late that afternoon, they had run around the city asking information about their person of interest, Zolf J. Kimblee. At first, they had a cold trail and Naminé was worried that Kimblee had used the sewers to escape the city itself. But apparently, two hundred yards away he had resurfaced. This excited Naminé for a few reasons. The most important one was that she still had a chance of finding the bastard. The second one was that it proved to her friends that she wasn't chasing a phantom. Still, they clearly had their doubts that this man was the Crimson Alchemist.

"I guess we're done for today," Mel said, with a sigh of relief.

Naminé frowned. "What do you mean?"

"The sun is about to set," Mel replied with a roll of her eyes.

"I don't understand the connection."

Mel shook her head in disbelief. "Dublith is notorious for its bad parts. I'm not wandering around that town after dark. Who knows what types of criminals come out?"

"Do you know what Kimblee did yesterday?" Naminé said. "I'm sure he's more dangerous than a couple of drug dealers."

Vi tried to mediate the situation. "I think Mel's concerns are legitimate. I know you're a state alchemist but we don't want to get in over our heads."

"And how are we so sure it's Kimblee?" Mel added. "Anyone can set their minds on explosive alchemy if they wanted to know."

"He knows about me," Naminé said.

"Who doesn't? You're the Lightning Alchemist, kicking butt since Ishbal. Sure, not everyone knows that you cheated on Romberg but that bitch of a coworker yelled about in front of everyone at Thad's funeral."

"That was a long time ago," Naminé said.

"I doubt anyone forgot you punched her in the face," Vi said matter-of-factly.

"I'm telling you it's him," Naminé insisted. "I know it's him."

Vi and Mel exchanged looks. Finally Vi turned toward Naminé. "If it is him, what will you do when you find him? Kill him for killing Thad?"

Naminé stared at her. In truth, she hadn't thought about what she would actually do. She just knew that some sort of revenge would happen. Hurting Kimblee had never been out of the question but what about killing him? Would that be taking it too far?

"You didn't think that far ahead, did you?" Vi said, sighing a bit. "There are too many uncertainties about this. You can defend yourself but Mel definitely can't and my alchemic abilities are limited. And if this guy from yesterday has friends, can you take them all on? You were barely able to handle him. So please, Naminé, rethink this. At least wait for tomorrow."

"I'm still going to Dublith," Naminé said sternly.

"Then you're on your own."

* * *

Maybe it was better this way. Without Vi or Mel, she could just worry about herself. Sure there was safety in numbers but she was sure she could manage. When she had arrived in Dublith, the sky had been turning a deep orange. The 'bad side' of Dublith had looked eerily deserted. However as time went by, the streets became more populated with suspicious people but to her dismay, there was no sign of Kimblee.

Naturally she earned stares. She stood out like a sore thumb. There were mostly men out and even though there were also women, they were dressed in a way that clearly stated their intentions. One look at her in her blouse and pants and anyone could tell she was not from around these parts. Every once in a while she would look over her shoulder, making sure that no one was trying to sneak up on her. As confident as she was in her fighting abilities, she couldn't stop feeling nervous.

When it was finally dark and she couldn't find Kimblee, she took a chance. She approached one of the suspicious men on the street. He was by himself, smoking his cigarette. He didn't seem _too _dangerous. "Excuse me," she said, wondering if that was too polite. "Can I ask you something?"

He looked up before rudely exhaling smoke in her direction. Naminé tried her best to not cringe.

"What?"

"Yesterday there was a man wearing a purple suit, most likely covered in filth. I was wondering if you saw him."

The man took a long drag from his cigarette, his yellowed eyes never leaving her face. "Depends... What can you give me?"

"Possibly anything," she said, thinking about her alchemy.

The man stared at her, clearly skeptical. "Is that a guarantee, miss?" When she nodded, he grinned. "You."

"What?"

"You," he repeated. "You don't seem as diseased-ridden as the other women."

Naminé opened her mouth to protest but she quickly shut it. She started to walk away. The man was trying to call her back but she ignored him. Was this going to be the remainder of her night? Running around Dublith, being harassed by men, and failing to get any leads on Kimblee? For a second, she thought her guess was wrong. Maybe he wasn't in Dublith. Maybe he was still in South City.

A prostitute passed her on the street. Maybe... "Um, excuse me?"

The prostitute turned around, her painted lips turning into a frown. "Are you lost?" She examined Naminé for a moment. "You look like it."

"Kinda," Naminé said, trying to figure out if lost was really the right word for her situation. "I'm trying to find someone."

"Who?"

"Yesterday he was covered in filth," she said. "He has dark hair, golden eyes. Maybe about six foot."

"'Fraid I haven't seen him," she said.

"Oh," Naminé said, sounding a bit disappointed.

"If you want," the woman said, "I can bring you to where most of my clients hang out. I've never been there but apparently they like the establishment. It's a bar so if you're thirsty, you can get yourself a drink."

"I don't drink."

"Then you'd be kind enough to treat me to a few."

Naminé didn't decline. Compared to other forms of payments, she didn't mind buying the woman a few drinks.

The woman took Naminé to a place called the Devil's Nest. It was full of people. Compared to the people she had seen on the streets, the people in here looked normal. That could be because they were the successful hustlers and deviants. The prostitute immediately sat down at the bar and got to ordering her drinks, looking to the brunette to pay for them. Naminé parted with a few bills before looking around the room. Kimblee wasn't present but she still tried to see which one of these people could know him.

There was one man who seemed to be the center of it all, surrounding by beautiful, provocative women and his male admirers and possibly haters. Despite it being night, he still wore his shades. He was dressed in all leather and his vest had fur around the corner. He seemed ridiculous but for whatever reason, he had the attention of the people around him. If there was one person who would know, it would definitely be this man.

"I'll be back," Naminé said. Before the prostitute could protest, she gave her a few bills and headed over to the center of the room. He was telling his fans some story about how he took over this establishment. At first, she was apprehensive about interrupting. Then she thought about how much work she had put in today and pushed past the crowd. Eventually the man had to look at her; everyone was giving her hostile stares.

"Do I know you?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No," Naminé said, "But I would like to ask you something."

He unraveled his arm from one of his ladies next to him and reached for his drink on the little table. He brought it to his lips, drinking it as he tried to figure her out. "And why do you think I would give you any information?"

"I don't," Naminé admitted, feeling slightly foolish. "I was hoping you would."

A few chuckles erupted among the group. The man didn't join in but he did grin, baring his surprisingly sharp teeth. "Go ahead."

"I'm looking for someone."

"You have a name?"

"You probably wouldn't know him by name."

"Try me."

"...The Crimson Alchemist." There was a strange shift in the air. A few of the smiles disappeared from the man's friends. For a second, she wondered if she had hit the nail on the head.

"Sorry," he said. "Never heard of him." He shot back the rest of his drink but his gaze still remained on her. He said that he never heard of him but he was clearly lying. Naminé could tell that much.

"Greed," a man said, pushing his was toward the boss. He was wearing a green cloak and had a bald head decorated by a few large green spots. For someone reason, Naminé got the feeling he wasn't complete human. The mysterious man whispered something to the man called Greed. Greed's eyebrows rose and fell.

"You don't say," he said, grinning before turning toward Naminé again. Without warning, he abandoned the two women on the couch. He approached the brunette. She tried to step back but the people behind her grabbed her arms. "Are you alone?" He asked.

Naminé quickly shook her head. "No, of course not."

"You're lying, aren't you?" Greed stopped when he was only a few inches away from her. He cupped her chin, forcing her to look at him. He peered into her blue eyes over his sunglasses. Already he could see through her tough front. "Such a shame you're so gorgeous. If only you weren't military, I wouldn't have to kill you."

Her blue eyes widened. They knew about her? This was not how things were supposed to go. She was surrounded and she wasn't so sure that attack was the right course of action. Now that she thought about it, she had a better chance pleading for her life than fighting for it. Out the corner of her eye, she tried to see what the prostitute was doing. Unfortunately the prostitute was passed out by the bar. So much for backup.

Naminé looked back at Greed. Before she could say something to prolong her life, Kimblee stepped out of the crowd. He probably just arrived because he was clearly surprised to see her here. She looked at him anxiously. For the first time in over twenty-four hours, she was happy to see him.

"You finally show up," Greed said to Kimblee. "And here I thought you might have abandoned us for the military."

"Wouldn't dream of it." His golden eyes landed on Naminé and he frowned, probably wondering why she was here. Funny enough, Naminé was beginning to wonder the same thing.

"Well, since you here," Greed said, his purple eyes moving back to Naminé. "You decide what to do with her. She's your guest, after all."

Kimblee smirked. "I suppose we can't let her go. She'll probably tell the military."

"I was thinking about killing her off."

Kimblee stood by Greed's side, his golden eyes on the alchemist. "Why don't I take her off your hands, boss man? It's been a while since I've properly had a woman."

Naminé tried to keep her jaw from dropping. Over her dead body! Then again, considering her situation, it might just come to that. Her blue eyes went from Kimblee to Greed and then back to Kimblee. She wasn't sure who the better option was. Neither one was really all that appealing.

"Let me see if I understand," Greed said, frowning a bit. "I give her to you and you keep her locked up in your bedroom for your personal use."

"Yeah, something like that."

Greed thought it over for a bit. "I change my mind," he suddenly said. "I want her."

"You don't want her," Kimblee claimed. "She's damaged goods."

"So why do you want her then?"

"Because I'm the one who damaged her." Kimblee looked at the brunette. "There's nothing I haven't done to this one." Greed looked at Naminé. He didn't seem so sure about his decision anymore. Seeing his chance, Kimblee continued. "Don't get your hopes up. She's not as... tight as she used to be."

Naminé's blue eyes opened wide.

Kimblee almost grinned at her reaction. "If I wasn't so desperate for a fuck and some nostalgia, I wouldn't bother with her."

Greed glanced at Naminé one last time, trying to reach a decision. Finally, he turned toward Kimblee. "She's all yours."

* * *

They tied Naminé's hands behind her back before they gave her to Kimblee. Kimblee then took her to the back of the Devil's Nest, presumably to where he normally slept. She didn't know what to expect. She wasn't sure if he would force himself on her or if she would even live to see morning. All she did know was that she should have listened to Vi. She was so focused on finding the bastard that she had forgone all sensibility. Now she was paying a hefty price.

Kimblee shoved her into a dimly lit room. There was a small bed pushed against the farthest wall. The room was practically bare with the exception of a chest of drawers, a desk, and chair. The bedroom door closed loudly and she turned around. Kimblee started to approach her. Naminé backed up, trying to loosen the rope around her wrists but there was no slack. The back of hers knees hit the edge of the bed and she fell backwards onto it. Before she could sit up, Kimblee was on top of her. _He's actually going through with this_, her mind realized in shock. _He's going to rape me._

"Fake it," he whispered.

She blinked. "What?" Was this some perverse prelude to the act?

His eyes narrowed slightly. "They're listening."

They? Oh, of course. He had told everyone in the bar that he wanted to have sex with her. Greed seemed suspicious enough of the situation. He might have sent a couple of people to see if Kimblee was telling the truth. Even so, Kimblee's request was ridiculous.

"Naminé," he pressed.

Gulping, she made a funny, strangled sound that had Kimblee raising an eyebrow. Naminé tried again, trying to sound more convincing with her moaning but suddenly she heard laughter outside the door. Kimblee gave her a look that told her to keep going. As embarrassing and awkward as it was, Naminé continued. Finally the laughter moved further away until they could barely hear it.

Kimblee sighed. He hoped that it hadn't sounded as bad outside the room as it had inside. He hoped that wasn't how she sounded during real sex.

"Why the hell are you here, Thomson? Are you trying to screw this up for me?"

"Screw what up?" She asked in a low whisper. "And the only reason I'm here is because I wanted to find you."

"And now you have. Satisfied, babe?"

"Not really... You're not going to try anything with me, are you?" She had to ask.

He smirked and got off her. He sat down on the bed. "History dictates I shouldn't. It wouldn't be as enjoyable if you're crying the whole time, now would it?"

Maybe he wasn't the total monster she thought he was. "So you're going to let me go?"

At this, Kimblee laughed. "That would be stupid. Greed would get suspicious. And unfortunately, your death wouldn't work in my favor. Not where the military's concerned anyway."

"So you're really keeping me here against my will?" She couldn't believe this.

"For now, yes," he replied as he stood. He walked over to the door. "I'll see you later, babe." With that, he left Naminé alone with her thoughts.


	31. Chapter 31: Archer's Arrangement

**A/N: This was an easy chapter to write, hence the semi-quick update. Kinda surprising considering I have so much school work to do. Anyway, thanks to Tj and Serrure for the reviews. I really appreciate them. :)**

**CHAPTER 31 – Archer's Arrangement:**

Vi was getting worried. She had tried to call Naminé's apartment all day yesterday. At first, she had assumed that Naminé wasn't home. But when she and Mel broke in, they had found the place completely empty and untouched since the day before. Vi never thought that her friend could be so stupid and actually run around Dublith on her own. Supposing some crazy mad person had kidnapped her. He – or even she - could be capable of all kinds of depraved things. Vi had to act quickly before Naminé's body turned up. Mel said that they should go searching for her but Vi had a more sensible idea, one that probably Naminé should have followed.

She sat on the steps outside of Southern Headquarters, scanning the military personnel walking by. Finally she spotted who she was looking for. Taking a deep breath, she approached the man.

Vi could see what Naminé meant about the lieutenant colonel. He definitely had a striking appearance, which could ultimately be due to his undeniable air of confidence. His blue eyes were amazing, his cheekbones well-defined. His stature suggested that he was in top physical condition but then again, most soldiers were. Vi could even say he was sort of attractive. Definitely he was a man Mel would gladly date.

"Excuse me," Vi said, making sure her red irises were covered by her sunglasses. "Lieutenant Colonel Archer?"

The man turned around. "Are you lost, ma'am?"

"No, I'm not," Vi replied. "It's about your subordinate, Naminé Thomson." At this, the man raised his eyebrows. "She's missing."

"Are you positive?" He asked.

Vi nodded. "She went looking for Zolf J. Kimblee two days ago, claiming he was alive." She caught the small smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth and nearly frowned. Did Naminé broadcast to her superior she was going on her own manhunt? Vi tried to keep her thoughts collected. "I went by her apartment yesterday. She wasn't home. I tried calling her later that night but she didn't pick up. I think she might have been captured by thugs or-!"

"I'm certain that Naminé's safe," Archer interrupted, giving her a charming smile.

"How do you know that?" Vi asked. "She hasn't contacted anyone, not even her sister."

"Naminé will be rescued soon enough," he said. "The military will take care of it."

"What do you mean by _will_?" Vi asked, narrowing her eyes slightly behind her shades. "If you wait too long-!"

"Nothing will happen to here," he interrupted. "We have a man on the inside."

Vi frowned. "Who?"

"Surely you understand that I cannot share military information. You'll just have to take my word for it that your friend is safe."

* * *

Naminé was alone in Kimblee's room, unable to move more than five inches. After she had tried to escape yesterday, Kimblee had transmuted a ring from the ground so she could be tied down to it. As she sat on the floor, alone in the room, she tried to think about other possibilities of escape. However, there wasn't much to come up with. It came down to the military busting in any second or tricking someone into untying her. Neither seemed very likely.

She shifted a bit, trying to find a more comfortable sitting position. Kimblee had been gone since morning. In fact, she was certain that everyone was gone. No one was here to offer her something to eat or drink, not even to check if she needed to go to the bathroom. Now would be the perfect time to attempt an escape. If only her restraints hadn't been reinforced.

_How long will I be here for?_ She wondered to herself. _When Kimblee gets sick of me? When his boss decides that I need to be killed? Not like Kimblee tells me_. She found that strange, considering this was his room. He was never around and he always assigned someone else to babysit her. She never fully understood his motives in the past but at least then she always had some idea of what was running through his head. Now she was completely clueless. Why hadn't he harmed her yet or even threaten to blow her up? In fact, why was he protecting her from Greed and the others?

The door opened and her head snapped up. It was Kimblee. She stared at him. This was a first. He never came back to his room during the day. When he started to approach her, she fought the instinct to pull back.

"What do you want?"

"Is that any way to talk to the person keeping you alive?"

She glared at him as he got down in front of her, silently daring him to try something. Apparently he didn't take her threat seriously; he was reaching out to stroke her cheek. She nearly gasped at the surprisingly gentle touch. Who knew he was still capable of feigning affection after all these years? She was trying to read his face but it was impassive. There was not even a mocking smirk.

"You know how often I dreamt of you?" He said, his eyes briefly moving to her parted lips. "Almost every day, Naminé. I never thought I would see you again like this."

Naminé was speechless. The only thing she was sure was still functioning was her pounding heart. _Why is he telling me this? _Her blue eyes couldn't leave his face. She was hoping that maybe his smirk would come back, a way of him admitting that this was all a big joke. But he still seemed serious as his fingers ran through her auburn hair.

"You hate me, right?"

She stared at him. She was supposed to hate him. He did so many horrible things and he was still capable of more. And yet, at one point in her life, she had fallen for him. She had actually considered having a real relationship with him. She had been willing to give up safe, reliable Romberg for crazy, unpredictable him. She had even decided that he was an integral part of her life, that she needed him more than he could ever fathom. Then, in one day, he managed to make her rethink everything.

"I do," she said quietly, more to reassure herself than to answer his question.

"And yet my feelings for you haven't changed since Ishbal, babe," he told her.

Naminé narrowed her eyes. "You never felt anything for me. If anything, you used me."

"You don't believe that, do you, babe?" He said, leaning closer to her face. "Or else I wouldn't really have had a motive to kill Romberg, now would I do?"

Her eyes widened before she was aware of the fire raging inside of her. "I do believe that!" She fired back. "You don't need a reason to kill anyone! You just do it because you're insane, Kimblee! The only thing that might be even remotely human about you is your sex drive and I even question that!"

Finally, he gave her the sign she had been hoping for. Kimblee looked away so he wouldn't burst out laughing. "Well, apparently that's the only thing you remember well about me."

Her face heated up at his words. "I'm not that stupid woman anymore! If I wasn't tied up, I would kill you right now!"

This time, he had to laugh. "I don't believe that. If there's one thing that hasn't changed about you is that."

"Let me go then," she told him. "I guarantee you'd be dead in the next five seconds." Before this moment, she hadn't had the faintest idea of what she should do to him. Now she had a few ideas she was willing to give a try.

Before Kimblee could reply, the two heard heavy fire coming from the bar part of Devil's Nest. Naminé listened in confusion. It sounded too chaotic to be a few people being killed by the ruffians who dwelled in this place. It sounded more like a struggle and clearly one side was being taken down. "What's going on?" She asked when the gunfire ceased. She could hear a few men running outside past the room.

"The military," Kimblee replied coolly, as he stood up. "I guess they're about to clean this place out."

"Sucks for you, doesn't it?" Naminé said, feeling slightly smug that the military had managed to find her. The best part was Kimblee had nowhere to run.

But Kimblee didn't look like a man scared for his life. He seemed too aware of what was happening, too calm and collected about it. It finally made sense when the door slammed open and a few soldiers rushed in with their guns pointed.

"Hold your fire."

Archer strolled into the room, smiling as if he was pleased with himself. He examined the tied-up Naminé before focusing on Kimblee. "You did manage to keep good care of her, Kimblee. I'm impressed."

"What?" was all Naminé managed to get out.

"I guess Kimblee didn't tell you, did he," Archer said, turning back to the brunette. "Kimblee is being reinstated as of today."

Naminé's mouth dropped open. "This _murderer_?! Are you out of your mind?!"

Archer frowned slightly. He didn't like the fact that a subordinate was yelling so freely at him. "Soldier," he said, reminding the woman of her place. "Major Kimblee is innocent of the crimes he was accused of in Ishbal."

"You can't be serious," Naminé whispered in shock. She had imagined that when she found Kimblee and brought him in, she would prove to Archer two things. One, the man was not a figment of her imagination. Two, he needed to be brought to justice this time. Somehow, even accomplishing one of those things didn't make up for the fact that she had completely failed with the other. Her blue eyes tore away from Archer and moved to Kimblee. The son of a gun was actually smiling. Smiling! He knew exactly the amount of bullshit Archer was saying.

"Kimblee is willing to serve his country again," Archer went on, as if he was making a solid argument. "He can contribute a lot to the military. I'm sure you've seen him in action."

"Yeah," Naminé muttered darkly. "I've seen him blow up women and children. I've seen him blow up an elderly man who was just in the wrong place in the wrong time. So yes, sir, I have."

This didn't seem to even faze Archer. He just looked at her as if he was dealing with an unreasonable child. Finally he turned toward his men. "Free Thomson from her ropes," he ordered calmly as if there was no tension in the room. As the three soldiers approached Naminé, he turned toward the newly reinstated alchemist. "Where is it?"

"I'll take you to it right now," Kimblee said. Casting one last look at the brunette, he left the room with the lieutenant colonel.

* * *

Although it was already evening, Naminé was still at Southern HQ. She was in her small office, talking on her phone. It was the one of the few things in the room that was where it should be. Boxes still needed to be unpacked. They were stacked and left on the maroon carpet, making her office feel even tinier. The only decoration she had was the alchemy books placed in tall but narrow bookcase and the green curtains adorning the only window in the room.

"Thank goodness!" Vi said over the phone. "Do you know how worried I was? Or Kaili! She was freaking out when I told her I didn't know where you were!"

Naminé sighed. It wasn't because she was annoyed by Vi's exclamations, more like she was disappointed that this was the best part of her day. It was good hearing the voice of someone who was actually on her side, someone who wasn't claiming that right was wrong and wrong was right. Therefore she could deal with the exclamations. Kimblee rejoining the military – that was on a whole other level. "Well, I'm okay now," she said. "I'm at Southern Headquarters at the moment. I'm still waiting for my meeting with."

"I guess your superior wasn't lying."

Naminé frowned. "You talked to my superior?"

"I was desperate. I didn't know what happened to you so I thought that I should get the military involved. But when I talked to him, he said everything was under control."

Naminé shook her head as what had happened this afternoon came back to her. "Of course he knew beforehand."

"What?"

"He said everything was under control because he already talked to Kimblee."

"...You found Kimblee?"

"I told you he was alive," Naminé muttered.

"But I don't understand," Vi said. "Your superior talked to Kimblee? Like they know each other?"

"He's going to get Kimblee reinstated in the military."

"_What?_" Vi sounded more horrified than surprised. "Is that a joke?"

"I wish it was," Naminé said. "I got to go. I'll see you later."

"Let me know when you get back to your place. We want to see you ASAP."

"I will. Bye, Vi." Naminé hung up the phone and sighed. The only way things could get worse was if Kimblee was put in charge of her. That would be the cherry on top of such a terrible day. Suddenly there was a knock on her door.

"Come in!" The door opened and the usually sparkling major walked in. "Hello, Armstrong." These days Armstrong could be happier. She was certain that it had something to do with working for Archer. At this point, she felt like she could relate.

"The lieutenant colonel would like to have a word with you now."

_Finally_, she thought. That was the only reason she wasn't home yet. Archer had ordered her to file a report about what had happened in the Devil's Nest and then wait until he was ready to have a discussion with her. That discussion could be about a number of things. She almost didn't want to stay around for it. A long, hot overdue shower was seriously in order and she wanted nothing to come between her and her bathroom.

The walk to Archer's office seemed too short. She didn't have enough time to get over her nervousness. Maybe her worst fear would come true and Kimblee would be put in charge of her. Reluctantly she turned the doorknob and walked in. Even though she was here to talk to Archer, her blue eyes immediately went to Kimblee.

"Hello, Thomson," Archer said. "I know you must be exhausted after your ordeal so I'll keep this short."

Naminé forced herself to look away from the mad-bomber. "Thank you, sir."

"Kimblee was just telling me about how close you two were before Ishbal."

Naminé raised an eyebrow. Kimblee wouldn't dare talk about that, would he? She decided not to ask. "Did he fail to tell you that I hate him?"

"No, he didn't," Archer said. "But I'm hoping that you will be able to put that hatred aside. You will, won't you, Thomson?" Naminé forced a smile and Archer nodded, taking that as a begrudging yes. He leaned back into his chair, his blue eyes never wandering from her face. "I'll be going to Central soon to investigate something there. I would take Kimblee with me..."

Naminé frowned. This couldn't be going where it sounded like it was going.

"...And Kimblee has expressed interest in re-familiarizing himself with South City. Since I wanted you to stay in South City and keep an eye on things-!"

Naminé closed her eyes. _No no no no no…._

"I thought it would be best for you to house him starting from tonight. I believe you have a two-bedroom apartment, right?" He almost smirked when he saw the surprised look on her face. "Is something wrong, Thomson?"

_Everything! _Her mind screamed. Instead of letting her true feelings known, she merely shook her head.

"Good," Archer said. "You are dismissed for the evening, Thomson."

Naminé headed out of the room quickly. She was about to slam the door hard when Kimblee caught the door. She turned around and their eyes met. One pair was full of amusement, the other full of anger. "I'm coming home with you, remember?"

She shook her head and headed down the hallway, Kimblee somehow managing to keep up with her every stride. She had been wrong. This was a lot worse than Kimblee becoming her superior. A lot worse.

**A/N: So we finally hit this portion of the story where it's somewhat parallel to the Fullmetal Alchemist storyline. I'm actually excited to write the next several chapters. Why? Because it's romance! Ultimately, I don't know how many more chapters are left in this story. If I had to guess, I'd say fifteen. We'll see. Until later. **


	32. Chapter 32: The Kimblee Problem

**A/N: This is a long chapter but I hope it's enjoyable. There's a little Roy and a bit of Hughes, too. I wish I can use those characters more, especially Hughes. Unfortunately at this point in the story, he's dead so he can only appear in flashbacks. Anyway, thanks to UnderTheHood for the review and to those who added this story their favorites/alert lists.**

**CHAPTER 32 – The Kimblee Problem:**

Naminé was hardly surprised when Vi and Mel were at her door. After getting home, she had called Vi as promised and filled her in on what had happened. Once she had mentioned that she had the duty of housing the mad bomber, Vi had flipped for numerous reasons. So the fact that the half-Ishbalan woman showed up with reinforcements in due time was expected. Vi walked in, looking around the living room and kitchen for the man.

"Where is he?" Vi asked, removing her sunglasses.

"Bathroom," Naminé replied, folding her arms. As proof, the women could hear the shower running.

"I can't believe this," Mel said, taking a comfortable seat on the couch. "You're housing a man?"

"Seriously, Mel?" Vi asked, rolling her eyes. "Is that all that comes to mind?"

Mel shrugged. "I know he's done really bad things but I've said it, you've said it. Naminé might still hate him but I'm pretty sure angry sex can be amazing, too."

Vi shook her head, throwing her arms in the air. "Should I be surprised?"

"Come on," Mel said, trying to make light of the situation. "Naminé can totally be a praying mantis about this. When she's done, she can just bite his head off."

It was amazing how some things didn't change. Mel was still liberated and care-free as always. Vi was still obstinate and highly opinionated. Naminé wondered where she stood.

"Personally, I'd rather skip the sex and go for the decapitation," Naminé said, reminding her two friends she was still in the room. They looked at her at the same time. Vi's face read approval at her statement while Mel's face read 'suit-yourself.' "Unfortunately," the brunette continued, "I can't make him leave by my choice. It would have to be by his."

Mel frowned. "That's unfair. I guess sex would only encourage him to stay, huh?"

Vi shook her head, this time smiling a little. "You're not completely hopeless after all."

"I think of other things besides sex, you know," Mel stated, shaking her head but smiling as well. She looked at Naminé. "Maybe you should try using the silent treatment."

Naminé shook her head. "I doubt that would work."

Vi thought for a moment. "Maybe you should do that but not _just_ that. Don't feed him, don't clean after him, don't do anything for him period. I'm pretty sure somewhere in his insane mind, he relishes in the idea of you taking care of him."

"Maybe..."

"Maybe?" Vi reiterated, raising her eyebrows. "Naminé, he knows that you hate him. I'm pretty sure he enjoys you being miserable. He allowed this to happen."

Vi had a point. For the past few hours, Kimblee had been taking everything in stride. He had gotten reinstated without a hitch, had the support of a man with possibly influential standing, and had made her out to be the fool. This fitted in too well with his scheme. How long would she have to put up with him being in her life? _Probably too long_, she thought. If she wanted this to end, she would have to implement a plan quick.

A door was heard being opened. The three women looked at each other. He was coming out.

"Hey, babe-!"

"Babe?" Vi repeated in disbelief. She looked at her friend. "You don't respond to that, do you?"

Kimblee stepped into the living room, frowning at the unexpected voice. He stopped when he saw the two additional women in the room. One stared at him with clear distrust while the other stared with disgust. Surprisingly, he welcomed these new reactions. All Naminé had shown was utter detest. He needed something different. He walked further into the living room, seeing how the women's eyes dropped quickly to the towel wrapped around his bottom half. "I forgot that you had friends nearby," he said matter-of-factly. "Vi, Mel."

"It's actually him," Mel murmured softly. Only Vi and Naminé caught her words. Hearing about him being alive and actually seeing it were completely different things. Time had changed him a bit but Mel thought only good had been done. Even Vi seemed to have been caught off guard. Maybe she had thought the monster inside of Kimblee would have finally reach the surface. _Three days_, Mel betted with herself. _Three days before Naminé gives in to Kimblee. _

Funny enough, Naminé was having similar thoughts. Seeing his bare chest reminded her of how at point it had felt great to have it pressing against her own in the throes of passion and love. It reminded her of how she had enjoyed every bit of him as she cheated on Romberg. Guilt started to settle in almost immediately along with anger. She fought the urge to tell him to go put on clothes. She didn't want to admit that he had any sort of hold over her.

"I hope you know how disrespectful you're being parading around like that," Vi said. "Especially in front of women."

"I was under the assumption that it was just me and Naminé here."

Naminé stopped her jaw from dropping.

"Well, Naminé won't be easily seduced if that what you're thinking," Vi said, standing a bit taller. "Naminé had her share of multiple men."

"I highly doubt that," Kimblee said.

"She has," Vi insisted. "In fact, she's seeing someone right now."

The phone rang and all four people looked at it. Naminé didn't want to answer it; it was so close to where Kimblee was standing. But when it rang a second time, Naminé rushed over and picked it up. "Hello?" She said, ignoring Kimblee's overwhelming presence.

"Naminé?"

"_Roy?_" Immediately she chastised herself for saying that out loud. Vi ended up giving Kimblee an I-told-you-so look and judging by the look on his face, he knew exactly which Roy this was. "How did you get my pho..." Her blue eyes moved to Kimblee. "I mean-!"

"I have friends stationed in South City. It's not as unbelievable as you think."

_Of course_, Naminé thought. _Armstrong._

"I heard that you're working for Archer. I know the kind of person he is and I wanted to make sure that you're okay."

"I'm okay," she said, glancing at Kimblee. "Um, could we possibly talk tomorrow? I have company over."

"Okay. I'll call you tomorrow then."

"Sure. It's nice hearing from you."

"Same here. Take care."

Naminé hung up the phone and took a deep breath.

"You and Mustang?" Kimblee asked. He _almost_ managed to hide the disbelief in his voice. Still, he continued to act unfazed by the news. It didn't take long for his smirk to reappear. "I bet you thought that was a big difference from me, didn't you? If only you had seen him in Ishbal, the way he set fire to everything-!"

"Shut up."

"He burned people by the dozens, all the while-!"

_SMACK!_

Naminé couldn't believe she had done that but she had. The smirk was gone from Kimblee's face and she was somewhat glad about that. But she was worried about how he would respond. He may not hurt her thanks because of Archer but Vi and Mel weren't completely out of the question. He slowly turned his head to look at her, his eyes blazing.

Naminé spoke quietly, surprised that her voice wasn't trembling. "Unlike you, Roy is a decent human being. Don't you ever talk that way about him."

* * *

-FLASHBACK-

"Why did you bring me here?" Naminé asked. The two had already rung the doorbell to the apartment. Now they waited for the person to answer the door. In Naminé's mind, it was not too late to leave but she knew the handsome man standing next to her wouldn't let her do that. After all, he had already forced her to break her nightly tradition of going to the bar.

"I told you already," Roy said. "We both need a break from drinking."

Naminé looked away from his dark eyes. That wasn't entirely accurate. The only reason Roy went to the bar was to make sure she didn't do anything crazy. He sympathized with her; he had told her that he was familiar with the idea of drinking problems away. Although, she had found out, his problems were very different. Sometimes she wondered if she had stayed in Ishbal and had joined the alchemists' extermination campaign, would she be even less held together than she was now. She already had the blood of one man on her hands. She couldn't imagine having the blood of hundreds.

Roy rang the doorbell again and Naminé smiled. "Impatient, aren't we?"

The door opened and there was Maes Hughes, grinning widely. "Hello, Roy." His eyes landed on the brunette who gave him an awkward wave. He looked back at Roy and raised his eyebrows a few times suggestively. "When you said you were bringing a friend, you didn't tell me it was Naminé."

"Your point?" Roy asked.

"I guess you're finally taking my advice."

For whatever reason, Roy's face heated up. "I'm not."

"Don't be shy about it! Naminé's a gorgeous woman! Of course, not as beautiful as my Gracia!"

"Maes," said a woman, sounding a bit embarrassed. Hughes turned around and finally Naminé saw the woman Hughes talked so much about at work. She was slender but had curves. Her light brown hair was cut short just above her shoulders and her green eyes seemed to carry a bigger smile than her face did.

Naminé waved. "Hello."

Hughes quickly launched into introductions. "Naminé, this is Gracia my girlfriend," he said proudly, wrapping an arm around the woman. "Gracia, this Naminé, one of the few female state alchemists and Roy's date for the evening," he added, just to get under Roy's skin a bit.

"Pleasure to meet you," Gracia beamed.

"Same here," Naminé said.

"Well, come in," she said. "I already laid out dinner on the table. I just have to find the bottle of wine."

Out of the corner of her eye, Naminé caught Roy looking at her. But she didn't pay him any mind. She knew better than to get drunk here. She could manage her alcohol.

"Are you seriously walking away from me?!" Roy exclaimed, following after the angry brunette. They had just left Gracia's apartment ten minutes ago. He had hoped that once they left, he and Naminé could have a reasonable conversation. However, he didn't realize that he had effectively pissed her off. "If I hadn't stopped you-!"

Naminé stopped and turned him. "I would have been fine!" She was lucky that there weren't many people outside on the streets. At least now she could yell without much concern about people hearing and seeing her act so irrational. Although, in her mind, she didn't think her reaction was irrational in the slightest. What was more embarrassing than a 'friend' taking her wine glass away in front of people who didn't know her well, claiming that _he _thought she had had enough? Hughes and Gracia probably thought she had a drinking problem now!

Roy stood in front of her and placed his hands firmly on her shoulders. "What happened?" He asked, looking into her eyes. "You were fine, then..." His voice trailed off, her mind filling in the rest.

Naminé didn't know if she should say what had went through her mind this evening. Gracia and Maes had this wonderful relationship that she felt a bit jealous of. Her jealousy had then transpired into her feeling stupid. She realized she could have had a relationship like theirs but she had screwed any chances of that happening. And once that line of thought happened, it triggered all these other emotions of guilt and sadness and a pitiful longing that she didn't know how to deal with.

"I don't know," she lied.

"Is it... Are you still mourning for Romberg?"

She stared at Roy in surprised before averting her gaze. "I should be, shouldn't I?"

His eyebrows furrowed together. "Then what is it?"

-END FLASHBACK-

Naminé sank lower into the bath water, the water level nearly reaching her nose. Despite her mind being in protest, she had told Roy everything and surprisingly he had been understanding. Sharing with him had done her some good. At that point, she had been in Central for a couple of months but she still had felt lonely. Vi and Mel, the only people who knew what she was going through, weren't there for her to run to like before. So having someone to depend on had been very welcomed in the sometimes hostilely competitive environment that was Central HQ. The fact that Kimblee could try to bring Roy down from who he really was had been upsetting. What did that nutcase know except fireworks and explosions?

The brunette glanced at the bathroom door. Since her friends had reluctantly left, she had been worried that Kimblee would come after her. However, he had yet to blow the door down. Still, she couldn't help feeling uneasy. Maybe she should have taken up her friends' offer to stay. Three against one was always better than one against one.

Quickly, she got out of the tub. As the water drained from the tub, she quickly dried herself off and dressed in her pajamas. There was no way in hell he would ever catch her in a towel.

The bathroom door creaked open and she peered into the hallway. There was no sign of Kimblee. Eying the extra room's door, she moved silently across the hall to her room. She opened her bedroom door and got inside. She sighed when she shut the door and the lock clicked in place.

"Was that supposed to stop me from getting in?"

Naminé's eyes widen in alarm. Against the wall was Kimblee, his golden eyes on her. She should have checked behind her bedroom door first. At least, she could have run to the other bedroom. She watched Kimblee as he moved from his spot on the wall and closed the distance between them. There was something almost predatory in his movements and it had her on edge. Was he going to attack her? Amazingly courage came back. Naminé unlocked the door and opened it. "You can leave now."

Much to her dismay, he closed the door and leaned against it. "After we talk."

"There's nothing to say, Kimblee."

"I beg to differ."

"...I'm sorry."

He frowned at the quick apology. "What?"

"I'm sorry for slapping you earlier." She wasn't sure what was on his mind but she was not in the mood for a physical altercation.

He stared at her, slightly confused. Given the attitude she had shown all day, he had not expected that.

"Is there anything else you want?" Naminé asked, trying to be as collected as possible. "I would really like to go to bed soon."

"You," he said, looking her over. He caught the blush rising to her cheeks but he ignored his instincts. "And Roy. How long?"

"Well, um..." Naminé knew what Vi had been trying to do earlier. However, Naminé felt that she didn't need to introduce lies into the mix. While she still harbored anger for Romberg's death, she was over any emotions or feelings she had for the twisted man. Plus, she didn't want to mix Roy up in her personal affairs. "Roy and I are just friends."

"Just friends?" He questioned. "Not even with benefits?"

"No... Anything else?" She asked, hoping that the interrogation was over.

Kimblee's golden eyes looked her over, completely aware of how flustered it made her. He enjoyed having this affect over her. It made him feel less upset about the affect she had over him. Naminé probably didn't know it but she made him feel almost guilty for everything he had done. She definitely made him feel guilty about how she had felt guilty all these years about Romberg's death. He never once thought his actions would affect her at all.

All his life, he never let anyone get close to him. He lived life to satisfy his own needs and any relationships he had were far and few between. He appreciated his relationship with Romberg and even the one with Isabelle to some extent, but the one he had with Naminé had always been different. He relished it, even depended on it. He wanted to act indifferent and had _tried_ to act indifferent but what she thought still mattered to him. How she felt still mattered to him. It had been silently driving him crazy seeing her act like this toward him.

"What changed?" He asked. She frowned at his question. He quickly elaborated. "After you said goodbye to me in prison, what changed? Was it hearing about Romberg?"

She narrowed her blue eyes. "What's your point?"

"You didn't hate me for killing hundreds of people. Instead, you come to see me before my execution, kissed me goodbye, and cried about me dying. But when they say I kill Romberg, that's when you hate me."

"Killing anyone is a horrible thing to do," she said. "This isn't just about Thad."

"That's not why you hate me though." With one swift motion, he had the brunette trapped between the wall and his body. Naminé's back hit the wall, her wide blue eyes locking onto his golden orbs. "If I can tell you right now that I didn't kill Romberg, can you still hate me?"

She stared at him, not sure if she should feel offended or confused. "Just get out, Kimblee."

He pulled away, feeling satisfied. "Sweet dreams, babe."

"Out!"

Kimblee smirked. "As you wish."

He opened the door and stepped out. But before he could close it, she slammed it behind him. She locked the door and leaned against it, deep in thought. "He's wrong," she told herself. "He's still a monster. He's always been a monster... So what did I ever see in him?"

**A/N: Naminé will have to do some soul-searching to answer that question. And will Kimblee tell Naminé the truth about Romberg? We'll find out in the next few chapters. Chapter 33 might be called 'Lists' if it works out the way I'm thinking. Anyway, please review. Till later.**


	33. Chapter 33: Namine's Realization

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait. I've just been busy with college and personal issues. But at least I can say I started Chapter 34 already and it might be easier to write than this chapter. Anyway enjoy!**

**CHAPTER 33 – Naminé's Realization:**

It had been less than twenty-four hours and Kimblee was already under Naminé's skin. For once in her life, she was excited to come in for work. At least there she could dump all babysitting duties with Archer and get time to herself. That time was really needed. She needed to sort the situation out. What was Kimblee up to? What did she need to do about it? What _could_ she do about it?

Unable to answer those questions at the moment, Naminé looked at the reports on her desk. Most of them weren't hers; they were Archer's. According to the man, he was too busy chasing the Elrics and figuring out what really happened at Laboratory Five to handle them. She had wanted to call bullshit almost immediately. If Kimblee couldn't provide answers to the Laboratory Five mystery, then there had been no point in reinstating the man.

There was a knock on her door. "Come in." The door opened. There stood a man wearing a white, featureless mask. Naminé stared for a moment, slightly lost, before she recognized the nonchalant stance and body posture. She smiled then she started laughing. Kimblee closed the door and removed the ridiculous mask.

"It was Archer's idea," he muttered.

Naminé stopped laughing, trying to become serious. "Why are you here, Kimblee?"

"Why do you think?"

She shrugged. "I was hoping not to deal with you until the end of the day."

"Sorry to disappoint, babe," he said, his eyes roaming over her tiny office. He walked over to her bookcase and pulled a random alchemy book off a shelf. He started flipping through it, taking note of what pages she had marked. "Who are you thinking of bringing back?"

"No one," she said, returning to Archer's paperwork.

"Romberg?"

Naminé paused and looked up. "No," she said sharply. "If I wanted to, I don't think I would have waited so long."

"Maybe seeing me again made you feel guiltier."

"I was just researching some things the lieutenant colonel told me about."

"Laboratory Five, huh?"

She wanted to ask Kimblee what had gone on in Lab Five. However, asking him would suggest that she cared about what had happened to him. She didn't want to make him feel any more comfortable around her than he was now. The plan was to get him to leave, after all. She sighed. "I can't work with you in here, Kimblee."

"You never answered my question last night," Kimblee said as he put the book back in the bookcase. "The one about Romberg."

"There's no point answering when I know the truth."

He smirked. "You mean what you want to believe?"

"Shouldn't you be trying to get back into shape?" She asked.

Kimblee put back on his mask. "I'll see you later, babe."

He left the room and Naminé exhaled deeply. Why did he have to keep bringing up Romberg? Weren't the past several years of guilt enough? She ran her hand through her auburn hair, trying to focus on the task ahead of her. Now was not the time to think about Kimblee. She had a lot of papers to go through and unfortunately they weren't going to do themselves.

* * *

The work day had given her enough time to come up with a scheme. She would deprive him of food until he couldn't take it anymore and leave. It would be less confrontational than other methods but he wouldn't miss the point. Because she still needed to do some grocery shopping for the week, Kimblee wouldn't have many food options. _Unless he wants to settle for bananas the rest of the week_, she thought as she opened the door to her apartment. _Not like there's enough bananas for a week._

Kimblee took his seat on the couch as Naminé headed to the kitchen. Naminé looked through the pots in her fridge. Rice, some leftover fish, vegetables, dumplings. She could easily whip something up for herself.

Kimblee heard the clamoring of pots and couldn't help but smirk. He had several reasons for moving in with Naminé, one them being food. She had never cooked for him but he had always assumed that at some point, if things had played out differently, she would have. Yesterday she had bought food on the way home but it seemed today she was willing to make something.

The aromas reached his nose. Apparently Naminé wasn't a bad cook. He looked over at the brunette. Except for her jacket, she hadn't even bothered taking off her uniform; she had headed straight to the stove. Kimblee got off the couch and joined Naminé in the kitchen. She paid him no mind as he leaned against the counter watching her.

He couldn't believe that Naminé wasn't seeing someone. It made him wonder what was wrong with her. Was he not seeing something that other men clearly sensed? _Maybe she's difficult with all men, _he thought with a smirk. When she turned off the stove, he started to lift up pot covers.

"What's for dinner?" He asked, raising an eyebrow at the contents. There was no way this would be enough for the two of them.

"Nothing," she muttered. She grabbed a plate and proceeded to dump each pot's contents on it.

Kimblee stared at Naminé as she continued about her business. She went over to the small table, placing her food there before retrieving a fork from a drawer and finally sitting down. Kimblee waited a moment, assessing the situation. Then he asked, "Is this some idea to starve me?"

"Of course not," she said, not even bothering to look at him. "That would be inhumane."

Kimblee snorted. The brunette thought she was so clever and he found it amusing that she believed that he would actually sit quietly and let her have her way. Clearly Naminé had forgotten who she was dealing.

The man took a fork from the drawer and sat directly across from Naminé. She didn't look up but he caught the slight pause in her movements. Without hesitation, he stabbed a piece of food on her plate. This time Naminé stopped eating. Smirking, he ate the dumpling. He then took a second one, watching her reaction. When he reached for the third one, his fork shocked him. The fork clamored on the table. Naminé let out a faint giggle.

_Two can play that game, babe. _Kimblee clapped his hands under the table and grabbed his fork. Then he stabbed it in the piece of fish.

She looked at him, slightly confused that he just left the fork there. Kimblee paid her no mind as he reached for a nearby newspaper. He opened it, hiding his face. _Five, four, three, two, one-!_

Finally there was that satisfying _bang _and the splattering of food bits on the newspaper. Nonchalantly, he folded the newspaper back up and placed it where he got it from. Naminé glared at him, her face covered in muck. "What's wrong, babe?"

The brunette bit back her fury as she got up from the table. "Nothing, Kimblee, _dear_." She went over to the kitchen sink and started to wash her face. Her clothes, on the other hand, she would have to change.

Kimblee felt satisfied. He had won another one of _her_ games. It was only a matter of time before she cooked up some other scheme with the help of friends. And, like tonight, he would poke holes through it. If she thought she could ignore him, he would get her to talk. If she thought she could starve him, then she could starve, too. He wasn't prepared for what happened next though. She came over to him with an almost sincere, tired look. Maybe she had a change of a heart. Maybe not.

She placed a banana in front of him. "There. Eat it."

He stared at it before looking at her. "What is it? Poison?"

She stared at him in disbelief. Next thing Kimblee knew, the banana was mushed into his hair banana skin and all. She threw her hands up in the air. "Happy? We're even."

He was insufferable, annoying, undeserving of an ounce of her time. She shouldn't have to put with this. She wanted to say what was on her mind but then she noticed the look in his eyes. It was so reminiscent of the look he had given her last night after she had slapped him. But this time he actually made a move. He stood up, his height adding to his intimidation. Warily she took her a step back, her blue eyes unable to leave his golden ones. When he took a step forward, she shot off for the living room.

Naminé felt stupid, even a bit childish. She had not been training the last several years to only run away from the bastard. But self-preservation claimed that he wanted to kill her. It demanded that she put as much distance between him and herself. With speed she didn't know she had, she managed to put the couch in between herself and the mad bomber.

"What is your problem?" She demanded, trying to look at least somewhat tough. All she could hear in her voice were fear and desperation. She sounded pathetic. Naminé looked at the front door. She thought about running to her room but that would be stupid. She would not dare trap herself with him. She faked right before running for the door. But Kimblee was smarter than that. He didn't fall for her false movement. He cut her off and tackled her to the floor.

Naminé's back slammed against the wood hard and for a split second she forgot where she was. During that split second her mind was on the pain, Kimblee laced his fingers between hers and slammed her hands down by her head.

"What's my problem? I think the right question is, what's yours?"

"You know what it is!"

Kimblee's grip tightened. "You know, I actually forgot how naïve you can be. Foolish, too. You don't even like the military yet you would trust their word on something when they weren't even there. It's one thing if I was deserving of all this hate from you. But the fact that you hate me for something I didn't even do says a lot about us, doesn't it, babe? I thought if there was one person who'd understand me it would be you but I guess that was the biggest mistake of my life."

"I'm the biggest mistake in your life?" She repeated. "What about all the people you killed?"

"Them?" He scoffed like it was the dumbest thing he had ever heard. "I also thought it was obvious that you're the only person I even remotely cared but I guess I was wrong about that, too."

"Don't you dare try to turn this on me!" She yelled. She wanted to hit him and scream her lungs out. How dare he try to turn this on her like she was supposed to feel sorry for the way she had been treating him? "Get off me right now!"

"No."

"Get off me or I swear, I _swear_ Kimblee, you won't be having any children in the future!"

"Naïve, foolish, _and_ stupid. Is there anything else I'm forgetting?"

She kneed him hard in the groin, thankful that he had decided to straddle her legs and not lie between them. Kimblee made a pained face as he let go off her hands. Quickly she pushed him off her and got off the floor

"Bitch," he growled.

"No 'babe' this time?" She muttered as she went for her apartment door. The plan was to leave Kimblee alone for an hour or so, give him some time to cool off. When she opened the front door, she paused in surprise. There was Archer, preparing to knock on the door.

"Thomson," he said. "Heading out?" His blue eyes glanced down at her dirty shirt.

"For some fresh air," she replied. "Not for too long."

"Where's Kimblee?" Archer asked.

"He's here, sir," she curtly said, praying that he wouldn't push his way into her apartment. Of course, Archer did just that as Kimblee forced himself to stand up. The lieutenant colonel raised an eyebrow at Kimblee, taking in the man's pained state and the banana mush still in his hair, before looking at the brunette still poised at the door.

"Thomson," Archer said. "Remember what my orders were?"

She took a deep breathe, preparing herself for the worse. But before she could explain, Kimblee did.

"It's nothing serious. Just a game that got out of hand."

Naminé turned around. "Stop lying, Kimblee. Tell him that if he doesn't get you out of here soon, one of us will be dead by the end of the week."

"Are you threatening a soldier in front of a superior officer?" Archer asked mockingly. When she didn't answer, he picked a bit of food off her shirt. "Was this supposed to be dinner?"

"It was until Kimblee blew it up."

"I came for two reasons," Archer said, "To check on the two of you and to give Kimblee an advance paycheck." He pulled an envelope out of his jacket and passed it to the Crimson Alchemist. "But since I'm here and your dinner got ruin due to the living conditions I imposed on you," he continued, looking back at the brunette, "Why don't I make it up by taking you out to dinner? Nothing fancy. It would be best if we can go now."

"Uh sure." At this point, Naminé would do anything to get away from Kimblee. It didn't take long to change into something food-free and presentable. Without a word to Kimblee, she stepped out of her apartment. She hardly paid attention to what words the two men exchanged. She just wanted to be as far removed as possible from Kimblee and the craziness that he brought. However, she should have known that Archer would have ulterior motives.

* * *

While Naminé would have rather walk home after the awkward dinner, Archer drove her back. Unfortunately there was no conversation or radio to keep Kimblee out of her head. Now that the anger had subsided, all she could think about was what he had told her.

She was the only person that had ever mattered to him.

Why did he have to say that? It annoyed her. It made her feel bad when she was sure that she shouldn't. She had spent so many years hating him and now here he was trying to undo it all like he had the right. He didn't deserve her anymore. She was so much better than that inexperienced girl she had been. She _knew_ better. And yet, as Archer's car pulled up in front of the apartment complex, her heart ached at the idea of facing him. She picked up a bag containing leftovers from dinner, said goodbye to her superior, and headed on up.

She walked up four flights of stairs, her mind reeling. She recalled him saying that he had dreamt about her a few days back. Did he still have feelings for her? Is that why he protected her in the Devil's Nest? _No_, she told herself. _Archer gave him orders to. _But a little voice pointed out the flaw in that idea. Archer couldn't have known where she was that evening. Kimblee hadn't even expected to see her then. That meant – _he protected me of his own free will. _

_But he was going to kill me in the sewers_, she reminded herself. _He was probably going to hurt me today_. Unfortunately, it didn't change how confused she felt about Kimblee because each of those times, he had dragged it out. For amusement? Because he didn't _want_ to? And then there was some vital piece of information she was forgetting. Something that Kimblee had brought up more than once.

She unlocked the front door and walked in. Kimblee sat up on the couch almost instantly. The two alchemists looked at each other. Before she could say a word, he lay back down on the couch and closed his eyes.

"Kimblee." She came over and looked down at him.

"What?" He grunted.

"You had dinner already? I have leftovers from the restaurant."

When he didn't say anything in return, Naminé sighed and walked into the kitchen. She put her food away and took some ice from the freezer. Putting it in a towel, she put the makeshift ice pack to the back of her head. When she looked over at the living room, she saw Kimblee watching her. She came out of the kitchen. "I'm going to bed," she announced. "Good night."

Kimblee lay back down in silence. Naminé shook her head and went to her room. Why did she even bother?

**A/N: Thanks to UnderTheHood and crazyuser for the reviews and to those who added this story to their favorites/alert lists. Hopefully Chapter 34 will be up next week. I'm more than halfway done with it. In the meantime, review please! Till later!**


	34. Chapter 34: Setting Boundaries

**A/N: I finally updated. I thought that this would have been up earlier but college has been a pain for me. Moving on, thanks to UnderTheHood and DarkestInk for their reviews. **

**CHAPTER 34 – Setting Boundaries:**

Naminé stared up at her bedroom ceiling. She had finally remembered what she had overlooked yesterday: Kimblee's suggestion that he hadn't killed Romberg.

It was bizarre. Kimblee had claimed responsibility in the sewers and even after that. However, two nights ago, he had asked if he hadn't killed Romberg, would she still hate him so much. And yesterday, he had told her that he didn't deserve all her hatred for something he hadn't done. So was he being honest? Or was this some ploy to mess with her mind even further? Why _couldn't_ it be a ply?

She let out a groan at her own confusion. This shouldn't be happening. She had been so sure of herself for years.

Naminé looked at her clock and saw that she had been lying in bed for over an hour. This morning she didn't have to come into work. Normally she would be happy. However, the day off meant she would be spending every moment near Kimblee and when she wasn't, her mind would be on him. She closed her blue eyes and tried to clear her head but she couldn't?

_I actually felt something for that man once, didn't I?_

Rather reluctantly Naminé finally got out of bed and went to bathroom freshen up. Then she went to the kitchen in her pajamas. Kimblee was already in the kitchen making breakfast. From the look of things, he was only cooking for himself. She took a seat at her small kitchen table. "Good morning."

Kimblee paid her no mind. He grabbed a plate that had two slices of toast and started adding eggs on top one.

"I said 'good morning.'"

Kimblee walked out of the kitchen with his sandwich. He took a seat on the couch. Naminé stood up and followed him to the living room. It took a lot of strength to sit down next to him. She took a deep breath. "I want to talk."

He took a bite out of his sandwich. Naminé pressed her lips together in a firm line. "Kimblee? I-"

"Is this how it works?" He interrupted. "We talk when you want to talk? I'm nobody's fucking chew toy."

"I know that," she said. "And I'm sorry. About yesterday. I just want to talk to you. I actually want to listen to what you have to say."

Kimblee put his breakfast down on the coffee table. "What?" He asked, finally looking at her.

"Did you really dream about me?"

He stared at her before shaking his head. "That's what you want to talk so desperately about?" _Why the hell am I humoring this woman? So far she has slapped him, kneed me in the groin, and reminded me constantly of how much she can't stand me. _

"What are you thinking about?" Naminé suddenly asked.

Kimblee shook his head in reply. "About how I shouldn't even be having a conversation with you."

"Can you answer the question?" Kimblee didn't say a word. He looked away. _How am I supposed to get his attention? _She thought. There were only two options – keep trying or walk away. The latter would be admitting that she had lost. She watched him pick up his sandwich and take a big bite. "Kimblee," she pressed. He continued to ignore her. She did the only thing she could think of. She took his plate away and set it back on the table. His golden eyes were on her. They were smoldering but it probably wouldn't take much to set them ablaze.

Naminé suddenly reached over and plant on the other side of his thigh. Then she brought the top half of her body in front of his. Kimblee's body stiffened at the proximity. For some incredibly stupid reason, she thought it would distract him or at least calm him down. Kimblee had always been a physical man. Words he could easily ignore but body language not so much.

"Kimblee, can you answer my question?" She repeated softly, her blue eyes locked onto his golden ones.

Kimblee stared at her, trying to hide his thoughts. She was trying to seduce him into listening and being compliant. He wasn't a fool. Sonia had done it all the time. At least she tried to. He hadn't forgotten how to play this game.

"I'm can," he said in a husky voice. His hand slowly crept up the curve of her hip. He caught her gaze dropping for a split second. "It's just a matter of what you would like to hear."

"Everything," she said, trying to hold her ground. She barely managed to hide how uncomfortable she became when she felt a light pressure on her waist. Suddenly his other hand came and touched the back of her head, his fingers intertwine with her tresses.

"How's your head?"

"What?" She asked, hoping he didn't hear her nervousness.

He leaned a little closer to her face, moving his other hand a little higher on her body. "You had ice on it last night. Does it still hurt?"

She shook her head. He had her in trance when it was supposed to be the other way around. The small, remaining functional part of her mind reminded her what this conversation was about and it had nothing to do with her head. "I changed my mind," she said, keeping her voice steady. "I don't care about what you dreamed about me."

"You don't?" He asked, his fingers playing with her auburn hair still.

"No. I have something else to ask."

"What?" He moved closer to her face. The confidence she had earlier vanished in that instant. He supposed that he had won the game and that there was really no need to continue. He could do one move and it would probably send her scurrying. However, he didn't want it to end that way.

"It's-!" Naminé gasped at the unexpected gentle but firm grip on her breast. Her face heated up instantly. She tried to find whatever strength she had left at her disposable but then Kimblee brushed his lips against hers and her will dissolved. A warmth was filling her abdomen, a sign that her body would soon betray her mind.

Kimblee kept her head in place as he brushed his lips against hers a second time, this time asking, "What's your question? Unless you don't care about that one."

All Naminé could see in Kimblee's eyes was a hopelessly insatiable lust. It made her want him in every sinful way she could think of. She didn't care if Archer found out or Vi or anyone for that matter. It had been forever since she had been intimate with a man. Even though this was supposed to be about the truth, she'd be damned-!

_KNOCK! KNOCK!_

Naminé's eyes widened as reality came knocking on her door.

"Naminé!" Someone yelled through the door.

That was Vi's voice.

Naminé quickly got away from Kimblee and hurried to the door. She opened it. "Hey," she said, slightly out of breath. She looked at Vi and then at Mel. "Why are you two here?"

"Shopping remember?" Vi said. "We talked about it before I came up. Unless Kimblee being here changes things."

"No it doesn't," she said.

"Does he have to come with us?" Mel asked.

Naminé shook her head and looked back at Kimblee. Here she was completely flustered and he had gone back to eating his sandwich. It was like he was unaffected by what had just transpired. But after more thought, she saw the problem. Kimblee had seduced dozens of women for all she knew. And how many men had she seduced? Maybe one. What made her think that seduction was a good idea? Sure, most men would have been embarrassed and not touch but Kimblee was not most men. He pushed boundaries. He attempted to bend the rules and often broke them. She should have known that touching was not out of the question for him.

"Let me take a shower and get dressed," Naminé said. "Come in and wait." Naminé disappeared down the hallway and into the bathroom.

Mel looked at Kimblee as she shut the apartment door. "What were you and Naminé just doing?"

"She's alive, isn't she?"

Mel sighed. _If something did happen, Kimblee probably brag about it._

* * *

After the women left, Kimblee took a cold shower. This was the second time they had been interrupted. He had thought Archer's showing up had been terrible because it had been obvious that Naminé had been the victor of whatever scuffle they had. He now realized that it was worse when his libido was involved. Naminé had looked willing and with the way she normally acted toward him, he was sure that he would never have another opportunity to bed her.

He turned off the shower and dried himself off. Then he looked at himself the mirror. His golden eyes stared back at him. To himself, he looked normal. But to Naminé, she would probably say monster. "A monster that she actually wanted to fuck," he thought aloud, smirking a bit.

Maybe it was better this way. He didn't have to become pathetically consumed with his old feelings and if she was willing, it could be just a sexual thing between them. Satisfying their sexual. Clearly the woman had been deprived. However, looking at his reflection, he knew it could never be just sexual. The past was always in the way. He was almost certain that was what was on Naminé's mind this morning.

* * *

Naminé came back to her apartment late in the afternoon. Kimblee was in his usual spot in the living room. The two made eye contact. Naminé inhaled deeply. Here was round two. She put her shopping bags down and went over to the quaint living room. This time, she took a seat across from Kimblee. There was no way she was allowing a repeat of this morning.

Kimblee took notice of her body language. Her legs were shut tightly together, her hands were on her lap, and her back was straight. No doubt this was her way of putting on a chaste act, as if he didn't know what was on her mind. He sat up and leaned back into the couch. "How was your day?"

She raised an eyebrow at the casual question. "Good..." She glanced over him. "Yours?"

"Boring," he replied.

"The question that I wanted to ask," she said. "Before we were interrupted."

"Distracted is a better word, isn't it?" He said in a detached manner, watching her carefully.

"No. We were interrupted when I was going to ask my question." She was not boosting his ego this afternoon. Her expression hardened. "If you didn't kill Romberg, then how did he die?"

Kimblee stared at her. He had known this moment would come but he never realized how delicate a subject it would be. What would be okay to share? What should he keep to himself? The brunette wanted the truth but her delicate self could only handle so much. "He was shot."

"...Just like that? How come there was no body found?"

He looked away, trying to find a place to start. "We went into a building because Romberg wanted a sniping position. I just came along to make sure that the building was secure. Long story short, we were talking, stuff went south, and Romberg was sniped from a nearby building. Ishbalans came into the room. I was trapped... I don't think I need to finish the rest."

Naminé lowered her eyes. "I see." She bit her lip at the idea. Kimblee being trapped, facing certain death when just a few feet away were the ingredients for an alchemic bomb.

"I made sure he was dead." Kimblee looked back at the brunette and saw that she was resting her head on her arms. He thought that maybe she was crying but then she spoke in an unshaken voice.

"What were you two talking about?

He frowned. "Does it matter?"

"Of course it does," she said, looking up, her blue eyes tearless. "You're the only person who heard his last words."

Kimblee wasn't sure if he should make something up or tell her the truth. "We were talking about you," he admitted.

"What about me?" She asked.

"...He wanted to know if you'd been lying the whole time."

"Why would he..." Her voice trailed off as it finally dawned at her. Kimblee waited for her to ask if he said anything. However, she didn't. "Was that the last thing on his mind?"

"I guess it was... I didn't tell him, Naminé."

"I know that," she whispered. "I know you wouldn't." She suddenly stood up. "I'm going to my room for a bit... T-Thank you for telling me." She left the living room. She needed some time to herself.

* * *

The moment Naminé lay on her bed, she buried her face in her pillow. She didn't think she could feel worse about Romberg's death but she did. For the first time, she was shedding tears solely for Romberg. She had meant to tell Romberg about the cheating. She had wanted to tell him after the war so it wouldn't become a distraction. The truth would have hurt him but she had believed he needed to hear it from her.

If Romberg hadn't found out, things would have played out differently. She was sure of that much. But a certain jealous bitch couldn't keep her mouth shut.

She should have guessed when Isabelle had approached her at the memorial service. The woman was vindictive and their relationship had been as stretched out as it could get. She just never thought... _I'm so sorry, Thad._

Her bedroom door opened and she looked up. Kimblee stood in the doorway before slowly making his way over. He sat down at the foot of the bed. The two remained silent for a minute. Then Kimblee spoke.

"You know, I wasn't actually sure I wanted to tell you everything. I'm sort of glad I did. I don't want anything between us."

"Us?" She repeated, clearly confused.

Kimblee's smirk appeared but it seemed more solemn than mocking. "I want to try again and there's no better time than now. Who knows how much time we have together?"

Naminé sighed and sat up, her blue eyes on Kimblee. "No."

"No?"

"You can't expect that we'll just continue where we left when I knew the truth. I need to know things will be different, that you won't be screwing up again."

"Fine. I won't kill any soldiers this time."

"That's not enough, Kimblee."

"Then what do you want, Naminé?"

"I want you to prove it."

"How?"

She ran her hand through her auburn hair, her eyebrows knitted together in thought. "I guess you can start by not touching me."

"What?"

"No touching, especially like this morning. There are others way to express your twisted feelings." She knew that if she didn't restrict that aspect of their relationship, things would be too easy for the Crimson Alchemist. When it came to touch, he was an expert. He knew how to get those rises out of her, how to set her skin ablaze, and how to leave her wanting more. This morning was an indication of how easily she would succumb to it. "Can you do that?"

Kimblee gave her a funny look. "For how long?"

"Until I'm convinced."

"I'm a physical man, babe."

"If you can't do this, then 'us' is not happening."

Kimblee weighed out his options. One would make him into the pathetic man he didn't want to be. The other would toss out any chance of Naminé being his. "Fine. I'll prove it to you your way."

**A/N: How was that? Please review. :) Hopefully, once things settle down in terms of college work, I can update at least once a week. I think there will 45 chapters in this story. I don't know. Anyway, till later.**


	35. Chapter 35: It Goes Both Ways

**A/N: It has been **_**forever**_** since I last updated. For some reason, this chapter was hard to write, which was why I've been holding onto it for a while. I was never satisfied with it. In fact, I'm still not all that satisfied. But if I want to get anywhere in this story, I need to move forward. So yeah. Hopefully this chapter isn't all that bad/weird. I had a point/idea I wanted to bring up but I think it will be more apparent in later chapters, especially since Lior's around the corner. Thanks to xxdarknessxfallsxx, DarkestInk, UndertheHood, Serrure, and Tj for their reviews.**

**CHAPTER 35—It Goes Both Ways:**

Naminé had to give Kimblee some credit. For the past week, Kimblee had really been trying to show that he was willing to make this relationship work. A couple of days ago, he had taken her out on an actual date, one that he must have given some thought to. He had gotten tickets to a theater show, guessing correctly she would like it. The dinner afterward couldn't have gone any better and the night stroll in the park was sweet. At one point, she had been so swept up in all the gestures that she had given him a kiss on the cheek. In addition to that wonderful date, he had been on good behavior the entire week. He hadn't killed anyone or blew something up. She could almost trust him now.

_Which is saying a lot_, she thought to herself as she left her superior's office and headed back to her own. _Maybe I should reward him soon._

She entered her quaint office and found Kimblee were she had left him – in a chair, reading one of her several alchemy books. She wasn't sure if he was looking for something in the book or he was just that bored but when he picked up on her presence, he immediately looked up.

"That was quick," he commented, closing the book. "What did he want?

"Nothing much," she replied, leaning against the door. "Just a small assignment."

Kimblee smirked. "Is that really the work of a lieutenant colonel? Small assignments?"

"It is when the higher ups question the promotion," Naminé muttered.

He stopped smirking. "Why would they question it?"

Naminé sighed. "Some of the higher ups believed that the promotion was undeserved, that I was the representation of what a non-exemplary soldier is." Even if she had been helpful on the Western border.

"You didn't kill when they told you to?"

She smiled wryly. "That's part of the reason. Doesn't help that I'm female either. Anyway," she said, changing the subject. "The assignment. It's pretty minor and I'll be heading out after lunch. You're more than welcome to come."

* * *

Kimblee had thought that the assignment would be more exciting. However, it was as minor as Naminé had said. They were monitoring the boarding of large cargo onto a military train, as if someone might try to steal it. 'It', of course, was still unknown. Naminé hadn't been brief on all the 'extraneous' details – just the 'important' stuff.

The two alchemists stood on the sidelines, watching the military personnel perform the assigned task. Kimblee was wearing his mask. Even though Archer was now far away in Central, Naminé insisted because it ensured questions wouldn't be ask.

"You honestly don't know what's in there?" Kimblee asked, noting the small holes on the sides of the crates.

Naminé shrugged. "Like I said, they didn't tell me."

One of the crates fell over. The men warily backed away from it. After a moment, they moved back in to pick it up. However, the faint growl coming from the fallen crate stopped them in their tracks.

Kimblee smirked when he saw the nails loosening on the wood. "I think I can guess, babe," he said, approaching the group.

"Kimb—Wait!"

Before Naminé could take a step after him, the top of the crate came off. A cat-like chimera emerged, its grayish coat shining in the sunlight. The chimera at first seemed drowsy but seeing the terrified workers, its yellow eyes lit up with life. The men started to run away; only Kimblee kept moving forward.

Kimblee could feel the adrenaline coursing through his veins as the chimera's eyes settled on him. The chimera revealed its sharp teeth but that didn't change Kimblee's mind about what he was about to do. It had been a while, nearly two weeks, since he had used any explosive alchemy and been 'domesticated.' He was itching to feel that thrill again. When the chimera started running toward him, he clapped his hands, trying to figure out if he should make this quick or draw it out or even—

He had barely heard the snap when a bolt of lightning struck the creature down. It collapsed almost instantly. At first, the Crimson Alchemist thought it was dead but then he saw the sides of the chimera rising with each breath.

Kimblee turned around and saw Naminé standing there, her arm still outstretched and her blue eyes blazing. The Crimson Alchemist looked away, already guessing that somehow she was pissed at him. He just didn't know _why_.

"You should be able to move it," Naminé told the workers. "It won't be conscious for a while."

"What the hell was that?" Kimblee asked as he approached her. He didn't mean to sound abrasive but apparently she took it that way as she quickly folded her arms.

"I was stopping the chimera," Naminé said.

"I could have handled it."

She gave him a look that clearly said otherwise but her words didn't match the expression. "It doesn't matter who could have handled it. It's taken care of. Just... Just don't intervene if something happens again. I'll take care of it. This is my assignment after all."

He stared at her. "What if you can't handle it?"

"What makes you think that I can't?" She retorted. "Blowing chimeras up doesn't solve the problem."

Ah. This was the real issue at hand. She was worried about him using his alchemy or, better yet, she didn't want him to. He doubted that it had anything to do with his identity being discerned. "I think it would have solved the problem. No one would have gotten hurt, right?"

"And if you did?"

He snorted. "I have taken on bigger targets that fought back."

"I'm sure you have," she muttered.

Kimblee caught the edge in her voice. "It's a chimera, not a person, babe."

Naminé slightly narrowed her blue eyes. "My orders were clear. I never got any sort of order that permits me to damage the cargo. Understand, Major?"

He smirked, wondering briefly if this was the woman that had been on the western border. "As you say, _Major_." He found it necessary to remind her that they were the same rank and that, in theory, she had no authority to order him around. He caught the slight twitch of her eye and suppressed a grin. He turned around and resumed watching the men load the train. "I'm pretty sure Archer's orders did not involve me becoming rusty. If it happens again, I'll deal with it."

* * *

After the assignment, Naminé had gone her separate way from Kimblee. She was pissed off and yet she shouldn't be surprised that she was. It was what Kimblee did – he would impress her and then later do something to upset her. Except this time, he hadn't really done anything. This was about what he had been about to do.

She stopped by Mel's job at a clothing store. Vi was there as well. She was sitting and reading a book while Mel was folding shirts to put on display. With all the ordinary citizens walking around the store, Naminé felt so out of place in her military uniform. It didn't help that they looked at her, too. Naminé approached her two best friends. "Hey."

They looked away from what they were doing. "Naminé!"

* * *

"See what I'm dealing with?" Naminé finished, after running through today's events with Mel and Vi. Her two friends looked at each other. The looks on their faces caused Naminé frowned. "You think I was wrong, don't you?"

"Of course not," Mel said. She picked up the shirt she had abandoned earlier and started to fold it again. "For once, you're right to be angry at him. But, um..." Mel quickly glanced at Vi for backup.

Vi turned toward Naminé, crossing her legs. "Are you sure this has to do with the assignment and not to do with Kimblee using his alchemy?"

Naminé stared. "I don't quite understand."

"I get you being upset about him trying to ruin your assignment," Vi started. "But I'm just wondering if there's something else that you're worried about."

"Like what?"

"Like Kimblee going back to his old ways," Mel suggested, raising her eyebrows for verification.

Naminé ran a hand through her auburn hair and looked away. In truth, that was what had worried her. She had seen the instant change in his eyes and the way his calm nature had become almost predatory. No. It had been predatory. The change had been so automatic that it had scared her. She had even questioned her _own_ sanity in regards to loving someone like him. "Do you think he'll go back to that? Blowing people up?"

"Everyone can change, right?" Mel said. "I'm assuming that's why you wanted to give this relationship thing a second go."

"I guess," Naminé muttered.

Mel shrugged. "What's the worst that can happen?"

"He kills somebody," Vi simply stated.

"Isn't that a bit drastic?"

"You realize we're talking about the mad bomber, right? He just killed someone two weeks ago."

Mel shook her head and moved on to organize a display. "Naminé, this is how I see it. If you love each other, you'll figure something out. That's how it's supposed to work, isn't it?"

* * *

Naminé climbed the stairs to the fourth floor of her apartment building. She stopped when she saw Kimblee sitting on the topmost step. At first she was surprised. Then she remembered that she had never given him a key to her apartment and after today, she wasn't sure if she ever would. Reluctantly she sat next to him on the stair. If they would have any chance of being in a relationship, she had to voice her concerns. However, it was Kimblee who spoke first.

"I'm sorry if you thought I was interfering."

Naminé looked at him. She wished that he would look at her but he was too busy staring at the wall. "You don't have to apologize."

He raised an eyebrow. "I don't?"

"You don't."

He snorted. "And here I was thinking that was what you wanted to hear."

Naminé rolled her eyes. "You say an apology because you mean it, not because you think that is what that person wanted to hear."

"I thought you said an apology because you're swallowing your pride."

"It's like you haven't changed."

"The fact that I'm apologizing for something so stupid is proof enough that I have."

Naminé took a deep breath. "Do you even want to change, Kimblee?"

He didn't answer for a couple of moments and when he finally did, all he gave her was a shrug. "It depends on what you're hoping will change."

Naminé looked down her feet. "I don't mind the sarcastic remarks or your vulgarity. I don't even mind you calling me 'babe' or dropping the occasional dirty comment. I just can't..." Her voice trailed off, half hoping that Kimblee would just get it.

"This is not just about that chimera this afternoon," he said, finally understanding. "It's about me not making fireworks at all. Is that it?"

"Yeah."

"Do you believe I have no self-control?"

"I'm afraid you'll lose it."

When Kimblee finally looked at her, she believed that she had sounded so pathetic just then. Kimblee's self-control wasn't a new issue. It had always been in the back of her mind. Common sense dictated that if anything, that was the reason not to waste her time on him. However, the heart never did seem to follow common sense. It hadn't back then either, which was the very reason she was in this predicament.

"I remember that date from back then," she said. "Then one I went on because I lost the bet? You said that you couldn't be Prince Charming all the time."

He raised an eyebrow. "So you want me to be that? Your Prince Charming?"

"You don't have to," she said slowly. "But I would like you to at least try."

Kimblee gave an incredible look before he stood up. He smirked, more to himself than at her. "Instead of focusing on changing me, maybe you should change yourself."

Naminé frowned. "What do you mean?"

Kimblee started to walk down the stairs. "How about trying to learn how to trust me?"

Naminé stood up but she didn't go after him. From where she was standing, she exclaimed, "Are you serious?"

Kimblee stopped on the landing and looked up. He looked tired and irritated, a look that didn't suit him in the slightest. He climbed up one step but he didn't move any closer. Even though Naminé was on the top of the stairs and looking down at him, she felt like she was the one on the bottom.

"Maybe it's not a trust issue, babe," he said. "Maybe you actually get off on all these stupid, pointless arguments with me. But in case you haven't noticed, you're coming off as a-!"

"As a what?" Naminé interrupted. "As a bitch?"

"So you _have _noticed."

"Tonight you're sleeping outside, Kimblee! So don't even bother coming back!"

He turned his back on her and shoved his hands into his pockets. "Whatever you say, babe!"

Naminé watched him leave. Try to learn how to trust him? She needed to change? She wanted to tell herself that Kimblee had no idea what he was talking about. However, a small part of her believed he did know.

* * *

Naminé had yet to shake off the feeling of waking up this morning on the couch and realizing Kimblee never came home. She had spent the whole night waiting for him, to at least have mercy and let him in. But he hadn't shown up and she could only stay awake so long. This morning, her heart felt heavy from the realization that he had spent the whole night outside. She was worried that maybe something terrible had happened to him. Or even something terrible had happened to someone else. There was a huge wave of relief when she entered her office and saw him sleeping at her desk.

She closed the door and dropped her bag before quietly making her way over to the desk. The smell was faint but she could smell the alcohol on him. She could only imagine what his night must have been like and quite frankly she didn't want to bother. She watched him for a moment, even brushing the tufts of hair on top of his head, as she wondered what she should do. Then it hit her – coffee.

Once she found a mug in her office, she quickly headed out and down the hallway. She had this image of her presenting coffee to him and he being grateful for whatever bizarre reason. He would then apologize and so would she. Things would resume normally and she would be happy. With coffee in her hand, she returned to her office with none of the stealth she had earlier. It wasn't shocking that this time, Kimblee lifted his head from her desk. Naminé paused awkwardly at the door. Then she forced a smile and crossed the room.

"I got you coffee," she said as cheerfully as possible. He merely looked at her, not bothering to even take the coffee in her outstretched hand. She gently placed the coffee in front of him. "I'm trying, Kimblee. I really am."

He looked at the coffee sitting in front of him. After some consideration, he took hold of the mug. "Me, too. But do you want to give up on me?"

It was one thing when her friends asked her. It was something else when he did. She averted her gaze. "Were you thinking about that last night?"

He smirked. "It's a yes or no question, Naminé."

She couldn't help but noticed that he had used her first name. She put her hands on her desk and looked down. "I don't."

"Good." Naminé looked up and met his golden eyes. He gave her a small smile. "Because I'm not giving up on you yet."


	36. Chapter 36: A Long Time

**A/N: This chapter is full of fluff. So you should be happy. Naminé and Kimblee don't even argue! Two of the scenes are based on flashbacks in the Lightning That Thunders, with some minor changes of course. Anyway thanks to DarkestInk and Serrure for the reviews. Enjoy!**

**CHAPTER 36 –A Long Time:**

"_Do you want to come to Bellaruse with me?"_

It was strange being here with Naminé again, walking the familiar pathway to her old home. Last time Kimblee had been here, it had been before they had gone to Ishbal. Naminé had shared her childhood memories with him and in return he had done the same. In a strange way, coming to Bellaruse that day had been a bonding experience. He didn't know what to expect today.

Naminé knocked on the front door.

"Your sister knows that we're coming?" Kimblee asked.

"She does," Naminé said, knocking a second time. "I called her this morning."

The door swung open. Naminé was about to smile when she stopped. Instead of Kaili, there was a woman standing in the doorway. She seemed to be in her mid-fifties. Of course, Kimblee was basing that face on the set lines in the woman's face and her graying blonde hair. The woman's blue eyes opened wide. "Naminé."

Naminé almost looked away from the woman. "Hi Mom."

The older woman glanced over Naminé as if she hadn't seen her in years. Now that Kimblee thought about it, that probably was the case. "Kaili did say you would be coming over," Mrs. Thomson said.

"She told me that you would be home today," Naminé said, her lips in a tight line.

"Well, I'm about to head out," Mrs. Thomson said with deep breath. "I'll see you when I come back. If you're still here."

"Bye, Mom."

Mrs. Thomson walked past them, giving Kimblee a brief nod of acknowledgement. When she was out the front gate and walking down the path, Naminé let out an unmistakable sigh of relief. Apparently, it was every bit as awkward as Kimblee had thought.

Kaili finally came to the front door and frowned. "I wish you and Mom would talk things over," she said. "What happened with Dad was years ago. You shouldn't continue blaming yourselves." When Naminé sighed, Kaili let out a sigh and turned toward Kimblee. "Hello Mr. Kimblee. I see that you're not trying to attack my sister today."

"That was a few weeks ago," Kimblee said. Although, he had to admit it felt longer than that. So much had happened in that short time span. He looked at Naminé. "I've been good since then, haven't I?"

"For now, yes," Naminé said raising an eyebrow.

Kaili giggled. "Come on in."

Naminé and Kimblee walked inside. The house had hardly changed since he had last been here. The white tiled floor was as clean as ever. The twin staircases still added the same elegant touch to the entry room with a wooden railing that was hardly worn out. The black grand piano was in the same corner on the same burgundy carpet. The only change to this part of the house was the two new paintings hanging on the walls.

"So how are you Mr. Kimblee?" Kaili asked, holding her hands behind her back.

Before Kimblee could answer, Naminé cut in. "Why are you so formal?"

"Am I?" Kaili looked at Kimblee. "What's your first name?"

"Zolf," he replied. "But I'm fine with Kimblee."

"You don't like your first name?" She asked.

Kimblee shrugged. "Everyone just calls me Kimblee. Even your sister does."

"Weird," Kaili commented, glancing at her older sister. "Aren't you two dating?"

Naminé's face heated up. "W-where did you hear that from?" Kimblee took note that Naminé didn't deny it.

"Mel," Kaili replied, eying both alchemists. "I just think that maybe you should call your boyfriend by his first name. It's a bit more intimate-!"

"Can you play the piano now?" Naminé interrupted, changing the subject completely. She walked over to it. "I mean, you were taking lessons when you were younger."

Kaili smiled and shook her head. "If it's so personal I won't pry, Naminé." She walked over to the piano and sat down. She pushed back the cover, revealing the many keys underneath. "And I can play the piano. A lot better now actually. Should I play something?"

"Sure," Naminé said, resting her elbows on the top of the piano.

Kaili started to play. Kimblee joined the two women by the grand piano, standing next to Naminé. Kimblee watched as Kaili's fingers expertly danced across the keys, creating a beautiful melody. It sounded like a love song, judging by the slow yet happy sound.

"What else can you play?" Kimblee asked.

Kaili's fingers stopped moving. "You have something in mind?"

"Do you know any waltzes?"

Kaili nodded and started to play one. Kimblee turned toward Naminé. "You want to dance?"

Naminé's eyebrows lifted in surprise. "Do you even know how to dance?"

Kaili tried not to giggle as she continued to play.

"Is that a serious question?" Kimblee wasn't an expert but he knew enough about dancing. It was one of those skills that he had found somewhat useful when he and Romberg used to play their game. However, he didn't see what he was doing now as a game. He was taking every moment with her as seriously as he could.

"Just dance with him," Kaili said, looking at her older sister.

Kimblee extended his hand toward Naminé. After a moment of staring at it, the brunette finally took it. Kimblee swiftly led her out into an open area and brought her in close. His eyes held hers captive as one hand went to the small of her back and the other lifted her hand into the air. Naminé awkwardly wrapped her left arm around his shoulders. When he took the first step of the dance, he led her into it. Naminé, despite all her previous apprehension, knew how to follow. Even as the music picked up pace, she didn't get off beat.

"So, um, Zolf?"

Kimblee smirked. Apparently Kaili's words had gotten to Naminé. "You don't have to call m-!"

"I want to," she interrupted, frowning a bit. "As long as you me want to."

"If you want," he said, deciding he was not going to argue with her on this.

"So, Zolf," Naminé started. "I still don't see why you want to dance with me so badly."

Instead of his usual smirk, Kimblee smiled a bit. "When else can I hold you this close, Naminé?"

Naminé suddenly leaned against Kimblee, nearly causing him to stop mid-dance. "You should make this count while it lasts then."

* * *

_Later that evening..._

"Sorry for missing your call," Naminé said over the phone. "I was out all day."

"With Kimblee?" Vi asked.

"I don't see the problem with that."

"I didn't say there was one."

Naminé sighed, snuggling against Kimblee's side. Weeks ago, Vi was supposed to stay with Naminé before Kimblee ended up moving in. Now she was happy that Vi had decided to stay with Mel instead. If Vi had stayed with her, she would probably be sitting across from the two, giving Naminé a dirty look for being so close to Kimblee on the couch. Kimblee placed his hand on Naminé's waist, causing Naminé to look up at him.

"You're still there, Naminé?"

"Yeah. I am," she said, breaking eye contact with Kimblee.

"Anyway, I called to remind you that I'm leaving tomorrow at 10am."

"Right," Naminé said, suddenly remembering. "I'll come to see you off."

"...With Kimblee?"

Naminé sighed again, running her hand through her auburn hair. "If you don't want him there-!"

"It doesn't matter," she interrupted. "He's next to you, isn't he?"

"Yeah."

"Can I talk to him?"

Naminé frowned. "What for?"

"I just want to talk to him. It's nothing serious."

Naminé twisted in Kimblee's arm and held the phone out to him. He raised an eyebrow before taking it from her. "You know, Vi," he said, "I was under the assumption that you, out of all people, would have nothing to say to me."

Naminé thought the same thing. She couldn't understand what Vi had to say to Kimblee when she hated him. She waited for Kimblee's responses to piece the conversation together. However, Kimblee didn't say anything but the occasional _yes_ or _no_ or _really?_ – none of which was helpful to Naminé.

"Maybe we should."

Naminé's eyebrows furrowed together but Kimblee didn't look at her.

"...Yeah? Why not? It sounds like a good idea."

What was a good idea?

"...Sure. Whatever."

Kimblee handed the phone back to Naminé. The brunette covered the receiver. "What did she say?" she asked.

"Nothing important, babe."

Frowning, Naminé uncovered the receiver and started talking to Vi, trying to not let her curiosity get the best of her.

* * *

Naminé was in the kitchen cooking when Kimblee stepped out. Like expected, she had asked him where he was going and he had given her the vaguest answer possible, which only caused lifted eyebrows. There was no way he was going to tell Naminé that he was going to meet Vi. Not only would that raise too many questions, he didn't even have all the answers.

Vi was where she said she would be – sitting on the bench nearest to the park's entrance. Her gaze seemed to be on the pond across from her. He could only guess because she had her shades on as always.

"You know it looks ridiculous wearing sunglasses at night, right?"

Vi looked up at the sound of his voice. She stood and took a few steps in his direction. "Most people assume that I'm blind."

"Yeah and you just happen to have a good sense of direction."

Vi shook her head. "You know, I don't have to be here. I could have told you whatever I wanted to tell you over the phone. But you had to insist."

"It was your idea."

"I said it but I didn't mean it."

"Well, what I wanted to ask you, I couldn't with Naminé next to me."

Vi sighed. "What is it?"

"Why don't you go first?"

Vi shook her head and rolled eyes this time. "Fine. I'll make this quick because not even Mel knows I'm meeting you. If I stay out too long, she'll get suspicious."

"Naminé's _already_ suspicious so let's make this quick."

Vi walked to stand near to the pond. Kimblee reluctantly joined her, putting his hands into his pockets. The most exciting things about the pond were the moon's reflection in it and the fireflies lighting up above its surface. The Crimson Alchemist couldn't see why Vi wanted to stare at the pond unless she was avoiding eye contact with him. Now that he thought about it, it wouldn't be surprising if that was the sole reason.

"It's nothing new but I worry about Naminé. After everything with Ishbal, she was in a bad place and no matter how I looked at it, she was in that place because of you. Naminé was getting better. Then you came back and things went downhill."

"Where are you going with this?"

Vi folded her arms. "Naminé's willing to forgive you and Mel's willing to support her one hundred percent but I don't trust you. And I feel that once I leave South City tomorrow, I'm setting Naminé up to just go back to where she started."

"You're worrying too much."

"Am I?" She asked, surprisingly calmly. "After the Ishbal Massacre – and don't even deny it because that was what it was – I thought Naminé was suicidal. She used to get drunk almost every night in Central. If it wasn't for Roy Mustang-!"

"She never told me that."

"...Why would she?" Vi took a deep breath. "I don't know if you really love her or if you're just using her but I guess I'll never know that. So I'll make one plea with you. If all you're going to do is hurt her in the end, stop now."

"...Like I said, you're worrying too much." Out of his peripheral, he caught Vi's head turning suddenly toward him. "She's every bit as important to me as she is to you and I don't just say that about anyone."

Vi looked away and sighed. "If you say so... What is that you wanted to ask me?"

"...What can I give Naminé as a gift?"

"Shouldn't you know?"

"I'm asking you so I don't go over the top and screw things up," Kimblee replied. He honestly didn't know what it would take for Vi to go easy on him. Even if he married Naminé, Vi probably would still hate him.

After some contemplation, Vi suddenly said, "Flowers."

This time, Kimblee looked at her with an incredulous look on his face. He had expected her to say something more expensive. Maybe he hadn't heard right. "Flowers?"

"Flowers," she said, just as firmly as the first time. "Every girl likes flowers. Naminé's no different."

Kimblee thought about the suggestion. All his life, he had never bought flowers for any woman. Buying a woman flowers said something that he never thought about any of the women he had dated. But in that case, Naminé would be different. "I better head home."

He was about to walk away when Vi erupted into giggles. He turned around. "What?"

She shook her head, smiling a bit. "It's nothing. Say hi to Naminé when you get 'home', okay?" Vi walked away, going deeper into the park. She was probably going to use the exit closest to Mel's place. Kimblee turned around and saw a woman standing by a tree, watching him. He saw the blonde hair and the green eyes. She was older now but it was definitely her.

She stepped out from behind the tree. "Kimblee?"

* * *

Naminé was just removing the chicken from the oven when there was a knock on the door. Figuring it was Kimblee, she quickly placed the pot on the stove and hurried over to the front door. _I should definitely get an extra key made_, she told herself. She opened the door and saw Kimblee standing there. "Hey, Zolf," she said with a warm smile. She noticed that his arm was behind his back. "What is that?" She asked.

Kimblee didn't bother answering. Instead, he revealed a bouquet of chrysanthemums. When he held it out to her, Naminé's eyes widened in surprise. She took it from him. The white chrysanthemums looked absolutely gorgeous and they smelled wonderful.

Kimblee finally stepped inside and closed the apartment door behind him. "I decided to stop by the flower shop on the way back."

Naminé smiled. "Thank you."

"I'm glad you like them, Naminé."

Naminé looked down at the flowers. How did they reach this point? A few weeks ago, she wouldn't have believed that they would be here like this. Even having a conversation with Kimblee about anything besides Romberg didn't seem like a possibility.

"Why are you crying?"

Naminé looked up in alarm. She was crying?

"They're just flowers, Naminé."

"I'm happy, that's all." Before he could voice his skepticism, she wrapped her arms tightly around him, burying her tear-stained face into his clothes. She thought that maybe if she squeezed her eyes shut, the tears would stop. However, Kimblee embraced her. She looked up in surprise, meeting his golden eyes.

He brushed a tear rolling down her cheek. "That's a stupid reason for crying."

Naminé averted her gaze, feeling her face heating up.

"_You can't expect that we'll just continue where we left when I knew the truth. I need to know things will be different, that you won't be screwing up again."_

"_Fine. I won't kill any soldiers this time."_

"_That's not enough, Kimblee."_

"_Then what do you want, Naminé?"_

"I love you."

The three words Kimblee said didn't register at first but when they did, Naminé had to look back up at him. She was undeniably happy but also in disbelief. If she couldn't feel his arms securely around her at that moment, she would have said that all this was a figment of her imagination. "I love you, too."

Kimblee leaned forward, bringing his face closer to hers, but then he stopped. Naminé reached up with her free hand and touched his cheek as encouragement. Kimblee finally closed the distance.

The bouquet slipped out of Naminé's hand.

What started out as a tentative kiss became increasingly more passionate. Normally Kimblee's hands would be on the move but they stayed firmly on her waist. Every rise he got out of her was from his lips. She had no idea how badly he was still restraining himself until she felt his grip tighten on her waist. Somehow the idea of him holding back frustrated her. Daringly, she licked his bottom lip. She felt his body tense against hers and she did again, this time drawing it out. Before she could try a third time, Kimblee finally invaded her mouth. Naminé moaned in content, her fingers intertwining with his dark hair. It had been such a long time.

She had thought the other day was bad but she really needed him now. A part of her wanted to demand him to do what he would normally do. It was then that she realized she her frustration wasn't entirely with him holding back on her.

Naminé slowly pulled away. The two stared at each other for a while. When Kimblee's gaze dropped a little to her lips, Naminé decided to pick up the bouquet off the floor. "I should put these in water, right?"

Kimblee blinked before looking at the chrysanthemums. "Yeah."

"I finished dinner not so long ago. You want some?"

"That would be nice."


	37. Chapter 37: Something More

**A/N: I feel like this was a fun yet easy chapter to write. Hence the very quick update. Maybe the next update will be just as quick. No promises though. Anyway, thanks to DarkestInk for the review. **

**CHAPTER 37 – Something More:**

"Why are we in a bookstore?" Naminé asked Mel. Better yet, why _this _section of the bookstore? Naminé was glad that she was in civilian clothing. While it didn't make it any less embarrassing for her, it at least didn't ruin her military reputation. The only people who could identify her as military would be fellow coworkers and she hoped that none of them saw her in the _Adult Section. _

"You wanted help," Mel pointed. "And this would be considered research."

"Why can't you just answer my questions?"

Mel rolled her green eyes. "Believe it or not, there are things that even _I _don't know about. Hard to believe, huh? Ah, here we go." Mel plucked a book off the shelf and held it out toward Naminé. Naminé's eyes widened at the suggestive title. Mel thrust the book at her. "Take it and flip through it for some ideas."

"I'm not trying to base possible sex on fiction."

"Steamy fiction, may I remind you," Mel said. "And this is the easiest way to explain things to you. If you're going to complain about my teaching methods, why even bother?"

Naminé sighed, forcing herself to flip open to a page. Within three seconds, she closed the book and put it back on the shelf. "I told you, Mel."

"Yeah but why would Kimblee care?"

Naminé sighed. "When I first started the military, Isabelle told me that he and Thad were playing a game about how many women they could get. She said the score was tied 50 to 50."

"Like 50 women each?" Mel said.

"Maybe. I never asked her for the scoring system."

Mel started laughing. "You think Kimblee has high expectations for a virgin?!"

"Shh!" Naminé looked around, hoping no one heard that. The only person who probably had heard her gave Naminé a weird look from the mystery section. "Yes," the alchemist answered quietly. "The only person I know he slept with frequently was Sonia and she would have done anything to please him."

"Like oral 'exams'?"

Naminé shook her head at her friend's words. "I guess that and probably a lot more." Mel's terminology sometimes sounded ridiculous but at least it wasn't as blunt as Vi's – Vi would have made sure to use all the proper terms that Naminé would be embarrassed saying and Mel tended to avoid.

"If Kimblee wanted that kind of girl, I'm sure he wouldn't have bothered with you."

"But maybe he thinks I'm going to be like a natural."

Mel's laughter didn't make the brunette feel any better about the situation. She took the book away from Naminé and swapped it for another one. The title seemed innocent enough. "It's a good read," Mel insisted. "And you can definitely get ideas from there. I used a few in my younger days."

"Like two weeks ago?"

"Funny," Mel said sarcastically. Mel walked down the aisle and disappeared behind a bookcase. A few moments later, she emerged with another book in her hands. It was bright red. "If you're looking for ideas, this is the best place to start."

Naminé took it. No sooner than she had opened it, her eyes opened wide. Not to Mel's surprise, the book fell out of her friend's hands.

"You're acting like we're teenagers again," Mel said, shaking her head as she picked up the book. "You're a woman now and, if everything goes right, you'll see a naked man pretty soon."

How could Mel talk so loudly about this? "No," Naminé said in hushed tones, "the lights will be off. He won't see much of me and I won't see much of him."

Mel raised an eyebrow. "What about when you wake up and it's bright outside?"

"I won't get out of bed until he's out of my room."

"And if it's his bed?"

"I'll sneak out before he wakes up," Naminé said. "I got this all figure out."

Mel shook her head. "What if he wants to shower with you?"

"Not happening."

Mel smiled at her friend's delusions. "Once you get caught up, you'll be surprised how little of that matters. I'm pretty sure Kimblee..." Mel's voice trailed off as she stared at someone over Naminé's shoulders.

Naminé swallowed, worried that it was Kimblee who overhead the most embarrassing conversation of her life. She turned around, preparing the best explanation possible, when she saw that it wasn't Kimblee. It was Isabelle.

It was strange how little she had changed. She still wore the same coy smile that people who didn't know her would mistake for friendliness. "Hi Naminé."

"Hi Isabelle." Naminé stared at the blonde. She was trying to not let her surprise show or exactly how uncomfortable this was making her. The last time they had seen each other, Naminé had punched her in the face. "I thought you moved."

"I still live here," she replied. "I'm just out of the military. I left two years ago. I got married and I'm even considering children."

"That's nice," Naminé said.

"Good thing Naminé didn't knock any teeth out, huh?" Mel chirped in. It was hard to tell if she was joking or being sarcastic.

"I agree," Isabelle said icily, her green eyes barely flickering in Mel's direction. "How is Kimblee doing by the way?" She suddenly asked, looking at her former coworker again. "I haven't seen him since the other night."

Naminé did her best to hide her surprise. "He's dead."

"Really? Cause I saw him _and_ talked to him. And you were just saying rather loudly about how you don't want to see him naked. I honestly don't know why when Kimblee is quite a sight. I would know. I've sampled the goods so to speak."

"Naminé will be doing a lot more than sampling," Mel interjected. Isabelle gave a Mel a look that almost stated where-do-you-fit-in-this-conversation. However, Mel just smiled and said in her best imitation, "So to speak."

Naminé sighed. "It was nice seeing you again but we have to go." Naminé walked past Isabelle. Mel hurried to catch up.

"After all these years, she's still a bitch," Mel whispered in surprise.

Naminé stared at her friend before erupting into laughter.

"I'm serious!"

* * *

From the time Naminé returned to her apartment, she had taken a seat in the living room and started reading the novel she had bought. Why she let Mel convince her, she didn't know. The novel was everything Naminé had expected and worse – not a detailed was spared about Elizabeth Thatcher's romance with the illustrious Mr. Blackwell. Naminé couldn't help but feel embarrassed that she was actually reading such a novel for the sake of her love life. Yet she couldn't stop reading. She felt compelled to finish it, if only to tell Mel how terrible and pointless it was.

"You've been reading that book for three hours," Kimblee said, sitting on the opposite side of the couch.

Naminé peered over the book cover. "Has it been that long?"

He nodded. "Is it really that good?"

"It's interesting," she replied. After some thought, she closed the book and sighed. "You and Isabelle... you ran into each other recently?"

Kimblee nodded, taking her question rather nonchalantly. "Yeah. Two nights ago. She saw me and approached me. We didn't talk long."

"What did you talk about?"

"About how she's married. And about how she might be willing to cheat on her husband."

"So you did sleep with her then," Naminé said. Kimblee raised an eyebrow. "She told me that you did. Once."

A strange look came over Kimblee's face. "Naminé." Just from the way he said her name, she could tell what he was thinking.

"I don't care about that," Naminé told him. "Or you talking to her. I trust you." She sat up straight and reached for his hand. Kimblee looked down at her hand on top of his before looking at her in confusion. Naminé shifted closer. "But I am curious – was she part of the fifty women you slept with?"

"...Fifty?"

Naminé nodded.

"You really think I slept with fifty women?"

Naminé's face heated up. It hadn't sounded that ridiculous. Naminé folded her arms. "Well, Isabelle told me once that you and Thad were tied at fifty points in that stupid game."

Kimblee laughed. "You don't get one point with each woman you slept with. You get five out of ten points for taking them on a date, then the full ten if the date ends in sex."

"...How many women did you sleep with outside of the game?"

Kimblee raised an eyebrow. "Uh, why are you so curious about all this?"

"No reason," Naminé lied.

Kimblee's golden eyes dropped down to the book Naminé had been reading. "Are you getting relationship advice from a book?"

"Don't be ridiculous," Naminé replied, moving the book to the other side of her. However, that didn't stop Kimblee from reaching over and grabbing it. Naminé tried to take it back but he held it out of reach. "Zolf, give it back."

Kimblee flipped the novel open and started to read out loud. " 'Elizabeth Thatcher had never seen such...' Are you seriously reading this?"

"Mel suggested it, okay? She said it was a good story."

"Oh? There's a story in here?" Kimblee asked.

Naminé snatched it away from him. "There is."

"Babe, I don't see why you want to live out your fantasies through a book."

"I'm not," Naminé said quickly. "I'm just, um, preparing myself." Kimblee gave her a funny look before his eyes widened slightly in understanding. She waited for laughter but instead he merely smirked.

Kimblee stood up. "One of these days I'll show you how easy it is – if you'll let me have that honor."

Naminé stared as he started to walk away. "It's an honor?" Naminé called out after him.

"I just don't want sex, Naminé."

Naminé watched him head back to his room. When he disappeared from sight, she picked up the book. She was certain Kimblee didn't know how reassuring that was for her.

* * *

_A few nights later..._

Naminé was not accustomed to having restless nights. This particular night she had tossed and turned before deciding a glass of water might help. Funny enough, Kimblee had been having similar issues. Their conversation had started out normally before Kimblee had introduced a weird turn. Naminé had been so confused until Kimblee had finally said what was on his mind.

"_Do you want to spend the night together?"_

It had been obvious what he had been asking for at the time but she had to be sure.

"_You mean make love, right?"_

"_Yeah... If you want to."_

"_... I want to."_

It had all came so easily – Kimblee poking fun at her, she retorting, he carrying her to her bed, she latching onto him while they kissed passionately. Now she lay on her bed, feeling her neck feverishly heat up wherever Kimblee kissed it. This was her comfort zone – this was what she was used to doing with men. Usually this would be enough but tonight she wanted more.

In a voice unlike her own, she heard herself say, "Make love to me, Zolf."

Kimblee left her neck and came face to face with Naminé. She could see the lust in his eyes already. "You don't have to tell me, Naminé." The husky tone of his voice sent shivers up and down her spine.

"Then do it already."

He lifted up the tee-shirt she was wearing, exposing her stomach and her underwear. Kimblee shifted down between her legs and kissed her stomach. His hands played with her hip bones as he continued. Naminé didn't know whether if he was coming back up until he grabbed the waistband of her panty. He briefly got up on his knees, tugging it down her legs and over her feet. She thought she couldn't look but then she felt a slow lick on the inside of her thigh.

Naminé watched him through a nervous, lust-filled gaze as he teased her. The whole time he kept her gaze. He kissed lower and lower on her inner thigh, deliberately taking his time, drawing out the suspense as long as he could. Her chest rose and fell faster as he got closer. Finally Naminé had to look away.

She had felt something like this before. She made sounds she didn't think likely as wave after wave of pleasure spread throughout her body and down to her extremities. She couldn't think of a time where Kimblee had rendered her to such a state. Her thoughts were barely coherent and her body was acting independently. His name left her mouth more times than she knew. She hadn't meant to whimper in disappointment when Kimblee stopped and kissed her other inner thigh.

She knew that Kimblee had experience more experience that her but after that, she saw how big the gap really was. She wasn't sure what to do, whether he was expecting something similar in return or... She blocked out her worrisome thoughts. Mel had been right about one thing earlier – if that was the kind of girl he wanted, he wouldn't have bothered putting in all this effort for her. And he did say he wanted more than sex. _For now_, she thought as she sat up, catching Kimblee's attention. _I'll stick to what I know. _

Naminé slowly took off her tee-shirt, exposing her chest to him. Her heart pounded while her eyes asked him where did they go from there.

Kimblee didn't voice his answer. He silently removed his clothes, barely losing eye contact with her. He then leaned in and molded his lips onto hers. Her blue eyes fluttered closed when he held her against his body. She didn't protest as his tongue entered her mouth nor as he laid her back down again. Naminé didn't want the intimacy of the moment to end. This level of closeness wasn't something she felt often. Kimblee usually had some sort of guard up but now he wasn't hiding his feelings.

Kimblee pressed his forehead against hers, his nose barely touching hers.

"Naminé," he whispered. "If you need me to slow down, let me know."

"I will."

* * *

Twice. They had done it twice.

Naminé stared at the ceiling, her mind trying to wrap around what had just happened. She had lost her virginity to Kimblee. It was easily followed up by the fact that Kimblee was good and could do amazing things with his mouth and hands. Whatever he left unattended the first time, he got to it the second time around. Her body was tingling as if he was still teasing her senseless. A part of her wanted him a third time but physically she was exhausted.

Kimblee wrapped his arm around her, pulling her against his body. She snuggled against him without a second thought.

"I love you, Zolf," she murmured softly. "But I think I'm good for tonight."

"I do want more than just sex from you, Naminé."

"What else do you want?" She asked sleepily, sure she would have nothing but good dreams tonight.

"You."

She smiled and closed her eyes. "You already have me."

"I mean officially. We should just get married."

Naminé's eyes popped open. She didn't feel sleepy anymore. "What?"

"Let's get married, Naminé."


	38. Chapter 38: Central Headquarters

**A/N: Surprisingly this update was quick and I expect the next will be just as fast since I'm already writing Chapter 40 as you read this. I wasn't sure how I should start this chapter at first but I decided to start it where Chapter 37 left off. Anyway, thanks to crazyuser and xxdarknessxfallsxx for their reviews. :)**

**CHAPTER 38 - Central Headquarters:**

"Let's get married, Naminé."

Naminé pulled away from Kimblee, her eyebrows knitted together. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah." Kimblee was trying to act nonchalant about this. However it didn't help that Naminé acted so surprised. He didn't want to think about how big a deal it was. Thinking along those lines would only cause him to mull over things he rather not dwell on. "You don't want to?"

"I wasn't saying that we shouldn't," she said carefully. "I was just wondering if this really is a proposal."

He raised an eyebrow. He really didn't know why Naminé was making this sound difficult. "The ring will come later."

"No, it's not that," she said, frowning now. "You actually want to marry me?"

"Naminé, I wouldn't bring it up if I didn't."

"But you actually want us to be married, have kids, and live together into old age?"

He sighed and rolled onto his back. "...I never thought about having kids." He had no issue with the first part and he assumed that the third part would just happen naturally. But the idea of children in his life was something else. His childhood had been anything but good. He wouldn't know what to give a kid that would depend on him for everything. "Do you want some?"

Naminé's hand lightly touched his shoulder. "I do at some point. Don't you think it would nice to have a baby together?"

For the majority of his military career, he had taken away life. Now Naminé was asking him to help create one. In theory, it would be amusing to see a miniature version himself running. However, he already knew how Naminé felt when he was at his worst, making his bombs and detonating them without a care. The kid could turn out to be the same way, probably a little monster.

As if she could ready his mind, Naminé rested her head on his shoulder and gently touched his chest. "I think it would be nice," she told him.

"And if the kid's like me?"

"The baby will have the best parts of you."

Kimblee wished that he knew what those parts were, although he was sure they were few in number. "If we do have kid, babe, we're not naming him after me." He waited for her to ask why but she didn't.

"We don't have to decide on kids now, you know," Naminé said. "I still want to marry you."

Ah. The confirmation he had been waiting for. He wrapped his arm around and closed his eyes. "I'm glad to hear that."

* * *

_One week later..._

The two alchemists had spent the previous night making love. So they were more than annoyed when the phone rang early in the morning. Naminé untangled herself from Kimblee's naked body and moved to the other side of the bed as Kimblee stirred. Naminé grabbed the phone before it rang a third time. Sleepily she said, "Hello?"

"Major Thomson. Did I wake you up?"

Lieutenant Colonel Frank Archer. She hadn't heard his voice since he had left for Central City. She was surprised that it was only now that the man had decided to check if she was alive. She sat up, reaching for the rumpled bed sheets for modesty's sake. It had been okay last night since the room had been dark but it was far too bright to not cover herself. "Yes, you did," she replied, glancing at her alarm clock. "Did something happen?"

"I need you to bring Kimblee within three days to Central City. After that, you will be relieved of your 'babysitting' duty."

"Really?" She asked, biting her lip. Kimblee sat up and moved closer to her. Briefly, her blue eyes landed on him.

Archer said, "You don't sound too excited, Thomson."

"No. No. I am. I'm just too tired." She wondered what Archer needed Kimblee for. Her mind quickly went through a list of current hotspots in Amestris. Something had to be on the military's radar.

"Can I speak with Kimblee?"

"Sure. He's right here."

"...He's in your room?"

At the tone of Archer's voice, Naminé became more alert of what was leaving her mouth. "No. Of course not. Why would you say that?"

"You said you just woke up."

"No," she repeated. "Don't be stupid."

"Are you calling me stupid, Major?"

"I mean..." She sighed, shaking her head. "Kimblee's in the doorway."

Kimblee raised an eyebrow at her before silently asking who she was talking to. She quickly mouthed 'Archer' before returning to her conversation. "What was that? Oh, right." She held the phone out to Kimblee.

Kimblee took it from her. "If you're calling, you must have a job for me."

Lior. The answer came after several moments of thinking. That town was practically the next Ishbal to happen and Kimblee was infamous for his actions during that war. Where else would Archer want him to be? If she was right, Naminé didn't want Kimblee to go. It wasn't so much a matter of him dying. Putting Kimblee in that environment would cause Kimblee to revert back to the mad bomber and all this – lovemaking, having someone to come home to, feeling happier than she had in a long time – it would just go away.

Kimblee smirked at something Archer said, making Naminé anxious. "Yeah... No. Wouldn't happen. Naminé's not into that."

Naminé frowned. Kimblee exchanged a few more words before Archer hung up. He passed the phone to Naminé. "What am I not into?" Naminé asked, putting it down.

"Sleeping with me," he said, smirking. "But we now how true that is."

Naminé brought the covers higher on her chest. "You're unbelievable."

"Me? You're the one hiding something I've seen more than once before."

"That doesn't mean you should get a peep show in the morning."

Kimblee smirked and gave her a peck on the cheek. "While you hide, I'll go take a shower." He got out of bed, not even bothering to hide anything. He looked back and caught Naminé staring. "But you're more than welcome to join me, babe."

Naminé blushed furiously. "I'll stay."

"Suit yourself."

* * *

The three days came by faster than Naminé wanted. Naminé had tried to do as much as possible with Kimblee in that given time. They had eaten out, gone to the park, and even took pictures albeit Kimblee reluctantly. While all that was happening, Naminé devoted time to coming up with a contingency plan. The first option was to somehow run away with Kimblee, which would lead to a manhunt conducted by the military. The second option was to convince Archer that Kimblee was not fit for battle, which was a statistical impossibility. The third option was to ask Archer to let her come to Loir. By the time two alchemists arrived at Central HQ, Naminé had settled on the third option.

Kimblee was wearing his military uniform. His military jacket was left unbuttoned midway, revealing the white shirt underneath. He was wearing his mask to hide his identity. Naminé was wearing the blue military pencil skirt, high heels that incessantly clicked on the floor, and a simple blouse. Her pocket watch hung from her hip.

"You don't have to walk me there," Kimblee suddenly said.

"I know," she said. "But I want to see Archer and exchange a few words."

"The Fuhrer will be there."

"Even better."

When they reached Archer's office, Kimblee knocked. Naminé glanced at the time briefly and saw they were not a minute early or late.

"Come in."

Kimblee entered the Archer's office, Naminé following behind. The Fuhrer was not here yet, which relief for Naminé. Armstrong was not in the room either. It was just Archer at his desk. He greeted the two alchemists with a small smile. "I hope the trip wasn't too bad here."

Kimblee shrugged. "It was fine."

Archer nodded before looking at Naminé. "Like I said, your duties pertaining to Kimblee are done. You're now free to go."

"Actually," Naminé spoke up, straightening her back a bit. "I would like to talk to you after your meeting with Kimblee."

Archer narrowed his eyes slightly but his smile didn't go away. "About what? Did something happen in South City prior to your arrival?"

"Not at all, sir," Naminé said, taking a few steps closer toward Archer. "But I do have pressing matters to discuss about my current station at South HQ."

The door opened and the Fuhrer stepped into the room. Archer quickly stood up and saluted his superior officer. Naminé and Kimblee turned around and gave their salutes. The Fuhrer beamed. "At ease. I hope I'm not interrupting a meeting, Lieutenant Colonel."

"Not at all, sir," Archer said. He looked at the brunette, who was clearly still waiting on his answer. "Major Thomson, if it's really that pressing, come back in the next hour. If that works for you."

"It does, sir," Naminé confirmed. She exited the room quickly and headed down the hallway. There was someone she would like to see today.

* * *

Roy was talking his usual smooth talk on the office phone, his feet comfortably resting on his desk. He was being boisterous this afternoon but that was only because Riza Hawkeye was not in the office today. His other subordinates sat by the large table, trying to have their conversation while listening to Roy's.

Roy chuckled. "You don't say. How about tonight then?"

Fuery turned toward his buddies. "Wow," Fuery said. "He just went to the theater last week and he already has another date."

"Can't say I'm too surprised," Falman said. "This is the Colonel we're talking about."

Breda grinned. "I guess Havoc's girl wasn't cutting it."

"Well," Falman said thoughtfully, "she can't be 'Havoc's girl' if they never actually went on a date."

Breda laughed. "That's true!"

"I'm right here, you guys," Havoc said, removing his cigarette from his mouth. He leaned his chair back and blew smoke up toward the ceiling. "And just so you know, I'm over Grace."

Fuery looked at his friend and innocently asked, "You're over the Major's sister, too, right?" When Havoc hesitated, Falman and Breda burst into laughter.

"Yeah, yeah," Havoc said, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly. "Laugh it up while you can. I'll find someone better and when I do, you'll all be jealous. Just you wait."

Breda smirked and lowered his voice. "Assuming the Colonel doesn't steal her first." The three men laughed again.

Havoc's chair touched the floor as he got up. His three comrades stopped their laughter and looked at him expectantly. "I'm going to head out," he told them, stubbing out his cigarette in the little ashtray.

"Can't you take a joke, Havoc?" Breda asked.

Havoc went the door and opened it. Just outside was a beautiful brunette with her hand raised to knock. Havoc stared at her longer than he should, trying to figure where she had been hiding. He was certain that if she worked here, he would have noticed her. _Unless she's new_, he thought. Which meant she hadn't met Mustang, which meant that he actually stood a chance—

"Hi," she said slowly, her arm dropping to her side.

"Oh, um, hi." He could feel three pairs of eyes trying to peer around him. Havoc summoned his courage. "A-are you lost or something? I'm certain that I haven't seen your face before."

"You wouldn't," she said. "I'm actually stationed in South City."

"Oh? So what brings you here?" _Don't say Roy Mustang, don't say Roy Mustang._

"I had to meet with my superior earlier."

"Then..." Why was she here? He hoped that she wanted to see Hawkeye. Since Hawkeye wasn't here, he could chat with her for a while, get to know her, and maybe secure a date. Then he could prove Breda, Falman, and Fuery wrong.

"You're here to see the Colonel, right?" Breda called from his seat.

The woman peered around Havoc. "Yes, I am."

Havoc sighed. Of course she had to be one of Roy's many girlfriends floating around the country. Or even an ex. Havoc looked back at the Colonel who was still oblivious to what was going on. "Well, he's on the phone finalizing a date for this evening," Havoc said, turning back toward the woman. He waited for the explosion, maybe in the form of anger or jealousy, but the woman just smiled at him.

"I'll see if he won't mind talking to me for a bit," she said.

Havoc stepped aside and let her enter the room. But instead of leaving like he originally planned, he stayed. The only thing that was keeping him there was the curiosity of who this woman was and what she was to Roy. His blue eyes caught the pocket watch on her hip and his eyebrows lifted. _She's a state alchemist?_

Roy smiled. "I can't wait to see you tonight, too." He felt a presence by his desk and for a second, he was worried that it was Hawkeye. When he looked up, he saw someone he didn't expect to see. "Yeah. I'll pick you up at 8. Bye Beth." Roy hung up the phone and smiled at the brunette. "It's been awhile Naminé."

Naminé nodded. "At least a month."

"Yeah. You hardly call and don't return my calls. It's like you dropped off the face of the earth. So what brings you here to Central? I doubt it was me."

"Lieutenant Colonel Frank Archer." Roy gave her a funny look, causing her to sigh. "I had to make a report to him. That's all."

Roy shook his head. "For a second I thought you might be dating him. You did like them sadistic and a bit insane. Before I forget," he said, turning toward his subordinates. "This is the Lightning Alchemist, Naminé Thomson. She's an old friend of mine. Naminé, these are my most trustworthy men – Warrant Officer Vato Falman, Sergeant Kain Fuery, Second Lieutenant Heymans Breda, and Second Lieutenant Jean Havoc."

Naminé beamed. "Nice to meet you all."

Fuery's eyebrows rose due to understanding. _Oh. She's a __**friend**__._

Falman frowned in thought. _So the Colonel __**can**__ have lady friends._

Breda raised a single eyebrow. _What are the chances of her really being an ex?_

Havoc stared at Naminé, looking her over. _Eh, I better not get my hopes. _

"So how long are you in the city for?" Roy asked.

"For a few days," Naminé said. "I'm going to stay by Vi."

"How about we double date tonight?" Roy suddenly suggested. "You can come and make me seem better than yesterday.

"As fun as it sounds to be your winggirl, I have to decline."

"Come on," Roy said. "When was the last time you had a date? Better yet, when was the last time I saw you? If you're worried about finding a date, Havoc will probably be more than happy to take you."

Breda, Fuery, and Falman all looked at Havoc who appeared to be on the verge of happiness.

"I really can't, Roy."

Breda awkwardly coughed, causing Naminé to look at the man in confusion.

Havoc cleared his throat. This was why he shouldn't have gotten his hopes up. "If you don't want to go with me-!"

"No," Naminé cut him off, frowning. "That's not it at all. I'm kinda seeing someone."

Breda coughed a few times.

"I'm sorry," Naminé continued. "You're probably a really great guy."

Havoc nodded, looking anywhere but the brunette. "Yeah... I'm going to head out now. Nice meeting you." With that, Havoc left the room.

"Wow," Roy said. "You could have at least went on the date."

Naminé turned toward the colonel. "Roy, I really am seeing someone and I doubt that he would appreciate me going on a date with a different man."

"Oh? Who's the lucky guy?"

"You'll meet him soon," Naminé said slowly.

Roy gave her a funny look. "Does he even exist?"

Naminé folded her arms. "Of course he does! Why would I make him up?"

"To avoid going on a date with Havoc."

Naminé shook her head. "I wouldn't do that... You don't think Havoc thinks that, right?" Naminé suddenly asked, surveying the room to get the other three men's opinions on the matter.

"Well," Falman said. "He recently got turn down by two women, one without warning and the other to his face. So, he might just think you're lying."

Naminé sighed and ran a hand through her auburn hair. "Should I go clear it up with him then?"

"Don't worry about it," Roy said dismissively like this was the norm. "I'm sure Falman can find a date for Havoc."

"Again, sir?" Falman asked.

"Yeah. I'm sure there is some other 'cute, smart, funny girl with a good personality.'"

The door opened and Armstrong walked into the room. His eyes landed on Naminé. "I thought you might be here, Major Thomson. Lieutenant Colonel Archer is ready to speak with you."


	39. Chapter 39: Convincing Archer

**A/N: Another speedy update on my part! This is the last chapter before the Lior-centric ones. I am 95% certain that the Prelude will end with Chapter 44 which means we are almost at the end. I'm excited about that, considering I started this story a little over six years ago. Enjoy!**

**CHAPTER 39-Convincing Archer:**

Frank Archer studied the woman in front of him. He had thought that the Lightning Alchemist wanted to bring up Kimblee but apparently he had guessed incorrectly. "Why bring up Lior?"

Naminé took a deep breath. "I believe that's why I was ordered to bring Zolf J. Kimblee here," she replied. "I heard that there is a problem in Lior and with the kind of power Kimblee has, he seems properly suited for the job." Before today she had only assumed it was Lior but after a conversation with Armstrong on the way to Archer's office, she was now certain.

"But I don't understand why you want to come," Archer said, frowning a bit. "And I doubt we even need your assistance. The military already has the Flame Alchemist, the Crimson Alchemist, and the Strong Arm Alchemist. We even have the Sewing Life Alchemist on our side."

"Shou Tucker?" Naminé asked. "I thought he was-!"

"In jail?" Archer finished. "He was also discovered in the Devil's Nest. He's a valuable asset so I had him reinstated as well."

Naminé ignored the angry questions buzzing in her head and focused on the matter at hand. "Given the right equipment, I can be very helpful on the battlefield."

"With the red stone, correct? That was also in your file. It was impressive but I think I got all the necessary fire power I need."

Naminé sighed. She tried again. "If it's not for my skills, let it be for Kimblee control."

Archer leaned back into his seat, a bit intrigued. "Kimblee control? I think I can control Kimblee on my own."

"You can't guarantee that," Naminé said. "One of the reasons he was supposed to be executed was for the murders of his superior officers."

"And you think you have a better handle on him than I do?"

"The whole time he was with me, there was not a single incident."

"Except when you fought him in your apartment."

"And I came out of that just fine. Look, sir – the reason you gave him to me was because you believed I know him best, right? That I know how he thinks and how he operates. Is there any guard that's more qualified than me?"

Archer picked up a file on his desk and start flipping through it. "I'll think about it, Major."

"Sir-!"

"You are dismissed."

Naminé refrained from giving Archer a dirty look and walked out of the office. Kimblee was waiting outside, leaning against the wall opposite the door and wearing that ridiculous mask again. She closed the door before her blue eyes dropped down to the silver pocket watch on his side. "I see you're officially reinstated."

"Yeah. I'm a lieutenant colonel now."

"I see." Naminé could only imagine what tale Archer had spun to get that to happen.

Kimblee pushed off the wall and closed the distance between them to few inches. "Why are you so hell-bent on coming to Lior? I thought war wasn't your thing."

Naminé sighed and folded her arms. "Because you're going. Simple as that."

"Babe, nothing with you is that simple."

"After what happened in Ishbal, I don't want to take any chances."

The two started walking down the hallway side by side.

"Where are you staying?" Naminé asked, changing the subject.

"At Archer's," Kimblee said. "Personally I wish I could stay with you until I go but that would be an odd request."

Naminé sighed. "I should bring your stuff." This morning, before the trip to Central HQ, they had dropped their belongings at Vi's home. Of course, looking back at the decision and the thought process, it had been somewhat presumptuous that Archer would allow that.

"I could come over and get it," Kimblee offered. "I doubt Archer would complain."

"No. It's okay. I want to bring it."

Kimblee shrugged. "If you insist, babe."

* * *

Later that day, Kimblee was relaxing in the living room of Archer's home when he heard knocking at the front door. He got up to answer. He couldn't help but grin when he saw it was Naminé. Earlier today Naminé had worn that military skirt. Now she was standing in front of him in a dress. He didn't know why she was dressing extra feminine but he really liked it. Plus he had always been a legs man.

She held up the suitcase with his things. "I thought I should bring it over," she said as she walked in. She started looking around. "Where's Archer?"

Kimblee closed the door. "He said he had to take care of something."

"He actually left you alone here?" Naminé put the suitcase down and faced Kimblee. "When did he leave?"

"Twenty minutes ago," he replied, taking a step toward her. "Are you staying for a while?"

"Not too long," she said. She reached into the bag she was carrying and pulled out a photo. Kimblee raised his eyebrows when she held it out to him. "I want you to take it with you to Lior. In case I can't come."

Kimblee looked at the photo. They had taken several pictures in the past few days, mostly because Naminé had insisted. Very few of them had turned out good. The one she handed to him was one of the good ones. In the photo, he had his arm around Naminé's waist as she leaned into him with a big smile on her face. "Thanks," he said, not sure of what else tosay.

Naminé looked away, her face heating up a bit. "I know it's cheesy but I wanted you to have something to remind you of me."

Kimblee's full attention was on the brunette in front of him. "You sure you have to leave now?"

"Why? You want me to stay?"

"I would love it if you did."

Naminé looked at the door, biting her bottom lip in thought. "Ten minutes," she said, dropping her bag.

"For what?"

Naminé placed her hands on either side of his face and pulled him into a kiss. It was hard, rough, and caught Kimblee off guard. Once the surprise wore off, Kimblee's hands shot past her waist and hips. Carefully to not damage the photo, he ended up scooping her legs up. Naminé quickly wrapped her legs around him, not slowing down their kiss, as Kimblee carried her across the room. He brought her to the nearest place – the couch. He placed her on the back of the couch, eager to continue their ten-minute tryst.

Naminé unhooked her legs from his waist. Then she grabbed his belt loops and pulled him in as close as possible, bunching the bottom of her dress at her waist. Kimblee dropped the photo on the couch and slid his hands along Naminé's exposed thighs before cupping her bottom. She let out a small gasp. Kimblee took advantage of the moment and slipped his tongue into her mouth.

It was strange. He had yet to remove one article of clothing from the brunette but he was turned on. He knew that there was no way this session was going to end without disappointment and frustration. She had only given him ten minutes. Deciding he had to slow things down, he planted kisses along her jawline and neck.

"You want me, right, Zolf?" Naminé asked, keeping her blue eyes closed.

Kimblee paused. "Here? _Now?_"

"I heard there's a rush when you can get caught."

"And if Archer walks in?"

She thought about it. "It's part of the fun, right?"

Kimblee blinked. Naminé, who always played it safe, wanted to do something risky. He wasn't sure what came over her but it would be wrong to disappoint her at this point. And if she didn't care about Archer seeing them in the act, then why should he?

* * *

Kimblee zipped up his pants, his golden eyes on Naminé. She was fixing her dress and trying to detangle her auburn hair with her fingers with a small smile. He couldn't believe that had just happened. Luckily Archer hadn't walked in or that would have been hard to explain. In the beginning, he hadn't cared but now he would rather not have that happen. He glanced at the floor and saw no evidence of the activity that had recently concluded. The only evidence was the color in Naminé's cheeks.

"Was that a goodbye present?"

Naminé looked at Kimblee. The small smile was still on her face. "Who knows when we'll do that again? I doubt I'll see you tomorrow night and the day after that you'll be in Lior and I'll be here."

He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her on the cheek. "When I get back, we'll do this every night."

"Was it really that good?"

"You have no idea, babe."

The front door's lock clicked. Kimblee quickly pulled away from Naminé before Archer walked in. Archer paused as his blue eyes settled on the two alchemists. "What are you doing here, Thomson?"

Naminé motioned to the suitcase on the floor. "I had to bring Kimblee's stuff over," she replied, grabbing her bag. "I was just about to head out."

"I see," he said slowly.

"Bye," Naminé said with a deep breath, glancing at Kimblee and then at Archer.

"Bye, Thomson," Archer said, closing the door behind her. He turned toward Kimblee, looking for some sort of explanation but Kimblee was not about to offer one.

"I'm going to take a shower," Kimblee said nonchalantly, trying not to give himself away. He turned his back on the lieutenant colonel and headed toward the bathroom. He thought he was free until Archer spoke.

"Kimblee."

The Crimson Alchemist turned around.

Archer was standing next to the couch. In his hand was the photo. "I think you're forgetting something."

Kimblee slowly came back and took the photo away. Smirking, he crumpled it up. "Don't be confused," he said, throwing it in the wastebasket. "I have my needs."

Archer studied Kimblee's expression. "That's understandable. I just didn't think she was your type."

"She's a woman. That's all that matters, isn't it?"

Archer let the issue go. "I guess you're right if you're only looking for sex... Does Naminé see it that way?"

At that, Kimblee shrugged. "Who knows?"

Archer watched as Kimblee walked away. When the alchemist disappeared into the bathroom, Archer retrieved a small black book he kept. He flipped through it where he had taken some notes down several weeks ago. Finding what he was looking for, he picked up the phone and dialed the number. The phone rang three times before someone finally answered.

"Hello?"

"Ms. Stonewall? Sorry, it's Mrs. Baston now. How are you this evening?"

There was a pause followed by deep sigh. "Lieutenant Colonel Archer, isn't it? I thought I told you the first time you called that I want nothing to do with the military."

"Do you remember why I called the first time?"

"Yes. You were asking for information on my former coworker and I politely declined. Do you remember that?"

Archer smiled. He remembered. She had been equally as bitter then when he had brought up the topic. At the time, Isabelle Stonewall had been the only person living that had worked with Naminé back in the day. Or so he thought until Kimblee had reemerged. "I remember but I have something else to ask you about this time."

"... Is it about Zolf J. Kimblee?"

"Why would you say that?" He asked, perplexed that she knew.

She laughed a bit. "Because I saw him the other day."

Archer took a moment, letting this information sink in. He had thought that maybe he could use that secret tidbit to his advantage but Isabelle knew.

"What do you want to know about Kimblee?" She prompted.

"His relationship with Major Naminé Thomson."

She laughed again. "Why? Were there problems with their housing arrangement?"

Jaded. That was how Isabelle sounded. Archer thought for a bit before saying, "Not at all. I'm sure they were satisfied with the accommodations. Especially Kimblee."

There was that laugh again. However this time he could hear the sarcastic undertones. "He would be. He could continue right where he left off with that whore."

The lieutenant colonel believed that he had finally hit the nail on the head. "Their relationship?"

"What else?" She asked. "It was the whole reason he killed Romberg in the first place."

"You really believed that story?"

"Yeah. The moment Romberg went to war, Naminé starts cheating with Kimblee. And when Naminé didn't break it off fast enough with her boyfriend, Kimblee decided to do it himself."

Archer looked at the wastebasket where Kimblee had thrown the picture out. "You don't say." Kimblee said he wanted only sex but Isabelle said that there was more to it than that. And who was more likely to lie – the person who had nothing to lose or the one who did? The circumstances of Romberg's death had been suspicious. The way Naminé acted toward Kimblee and vice versa – it had always seemed odd. Kimblee's request to stay in South City, Naminé's disappointment that Kimblee was leaving – it should have seemed obvious.

"Thanks for your help, Mrs. Baston," he said.

"Is there anything else, Lieutenant Colonel?"

"No. There isn't. Have a wonderful evening."

* * *

The next day came pretty quickly. Archer was shuffling through some documents on Lior when there was a knock at his door. He looked at his watch. As expected Naminé was on time. "Come in," he called. The brunette walked in, this time wearing civilian clothing. He looked at her knowingly. She probably thought he didn't know her motivations but she was very wrong about that.

"Lieutenant Colonel?" She started, closing the door behind her.

"It's _Colonel _Archer now, Thomson," Archer said, smiling a little at this fact. "I've been promoted."

Naminé took a deep breath. "I'll keep that in mind, sir." Archer motioned to a seat on the opposite side of her desk and Naminé took it. She took a deep breath. "About my request, sir-!"

"I thought about it," he said. "And I talked to the Fuhrer about it as well. I even mentioned it Armstrong, just to hear his opinion on the matter." Her eyes narrowed slightly but he still caught the change in expression. "Do you still want to go to Lior?"

"I do."

"Then you'll leave with us tomorrow."

Naminé blinked in confusion. "That's it?"

Archer smiled and returned to the documents he was looking at. "That's it. And by the way, you've been promoted to Lieutenant Colonel."

Archer said it so casually like it was nothing. To him, it seemed like nothing compared to his newly obtained rank. However, Naminé beamed at the news. Just when she was about to head out, she suddenly asked, "Did Kimblee come in today?"

Archer looked up from his documents. "Why do you want to know?"

Her expression changed and she shook her head. "It's fine," she told him. "I'll see you tomorrow, _Colonel _Archer."

Archer smirked. "Don't be late, Thomson."


	40. Chapter 40: Lior, Part 1

**A/N: This part took longer to post. I just had a crazy weekend and the last few days have been full of exams and studying. But the chapter is finally up. Enjoy. :)**

**CHAPTER 40—Lior, Part 1:**

The train had left Central City an hour ago. Naminé had seen Archer this morning before boarding but she had lost him on the train. She had tried to find him in hopes of then seeing Kimblee but she had gotten distracted by a couple of men she had known out west. Catching up and talking about old memories took a lot longer than Naminé expected. She had then excused herself and continued her search for her superior. Eventually, she stumbled into the right train cart. She found a smug-looking Archer, an irritated Mustang, and an unmasked Kimblee.

"I'm glad that you can join us, Thomson," Archer said. "I was just telling Roy how you selflessly accommodated Kimblee in your home."

She took a deep breath and faced Mustang, who was glaring holes through her.

"I guess he was the sole reason you wanted to come, right?" Mustang asked.

"I said I would tell you if it affected you," Naminé reminded him, sitting in the empty seat across from Roy.

Roy's dark eyes looked in Kimblee's direction for a brief moment. Then he moved to sit next to her. "So tell me," he said in a low voice. "Is Kimblee the one you're involved with?" When Naminé only sighed, he pulled away. "I can understand it happening once, Naminé, but _twice_?"

"Is it any of your concern?" Naminé finally snapped.

Roy sighed and lowered his voice. "It is. If I have to take him out, you'll get in my way, right?"

Naminé narrowed her blue eyes. "It depends on what 'taking him out' means."

"Is there a problem, Roy?" Archer suddenly asked. He had been watching the two for a while now, interpreting their body languages and the phrases he managed to pick up from the conversation. "If it concerns the Crimson Alchemist, I assure you that you shouldn't worry."

Naminé turned around. "Why would you say that?"

Archer lifted an eyebrow. "What else happened twice?"

Naminé opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. Her eyes moved to Kimblee. Not that long ago, he had been comfortable with his hands behind his head, staring at the ceiling with a smug look on his face. Now he looked confused. She focused on Archer. No. He couldn't know about that.

"Kimblee told me about how good you were about satisfying his needs."

Naminé met Kimblee's gaze. There was only one thing running through her mind. _Why? _

"I couldn't have placed Kimblee with anyone better."

Naminé's face burned with humiliation.

"Is there a point to this conversation, Archer?" Roy interjected, coming to her defense. Not Kimblee, Roy.

While Naminé appreciated the fact that Roy wanted to help her out, all she could think about was why Kimblee was keeping his mouth shut. She clenched her fists. "Don't you have anything to say, Kimblee?"

Kimblee looked out the window. "What's there to say?"

Naminé stood up and went into the next train cart without a word. She was done with the situation and if Kimblee was going to make her look bad, then she didn't want to deal with him either.

* * *

The military had a base outside of Lior. It was a large, old building that the military seemingly updated with their equipment. Some parts of the building were for operations but most of them were sleeping quarters, which beat the tents used in Ishbal during the war. The rooms were cooler and felt safer. Naminé still had to share with three other women but that was okay. The 'mess hall' – as small as it was – could be found on the first floor and as expected the food served there could have been better.

After eating dinner, Naminé started heading back to her room. She had nothing to do. Archer hadn't assigned her to babysit for Kimblee, which was understandable considering the situation. But what reason did he have for bringing her out here if he knew about _that_? Did he expect her to fight in Lior?

"Thomson!"

Naminé sighed. Speak of the devil himself.

Archer caught up. He saw the expression on her face. Even though it was clear she wasn't thrilled, he smiled. "I see you're still upset about yesterday." Naminé started walking away but Archer purposely matched her strides. "Are you ignoring a superior officer?" When Naminé didn't say a word and continued walking, Archer sped up and blocked her path.

Naminé took a deep breath. "What is it, sir?" She asked curtly.

"Don't take yesterday personally," he told her. "It wasn't so much about you as it was about Kimblee. You just happened to be in the middle of it."

"Right," Naminé muttered. "And you just happened to imply I'm a whore."

"I never implied that," Archer said. "Nor do I think that. Maybe you're more like unfaithful."

"Unfaithful?"

"In regards to your previous relationship with Romberg," he explained.

"Where did you hear that?" She asked, trying not to raise her voice.

"I don't have to reveal that to you," he said.

"Well excuse me for asking," she started, hearing the anger in her voice. "But what does my personal life have to do with the military? What right do you have to pry?"

"_Every_ right," he said. "Your relationship with Kimblee, whatever that may be, could have undesirable effects. I just want to dampen them to the best of my abilities."

_BOOM!_

Archer frowned. "What the hell? There is no way they are attacking us now."

Naminé folded her arms. "It's probably Kimblee," Naminé muttered, heading toward it. Archer followed her.

By the time they arrived at the scene, Mustang and his men were already there. There had clearly been a fight and Kimblee hadn't walked away unscathed. He was on the ground, his clothes tattered and a cut on his forehead bleeding. Archer approached Mustang while Naminé hung back, eying the Crimson Alchemist on the ground. _"I can understand it happening once, Naminé, but __**twice**__?"_

"What happened, Roy?" Archer demanded.

Mustang turned around and looked at the Colonel clearly irritated. "Kimblee got into a fight with Alphonse," he said, narrowing his ebony eyes. "I suggest you find a way to control him."

Archer looked at Kimblee, who was trying to stand up. "What happened to the guard I put at your door?"

Kimblee smirked. "Take a guess, Colonel."

Archer looked back at Naminé. "Thomson, come over here."

Naminé approached the group, trying to ignore Kimblee. "What, sir?"

"I need you on guard duty," he told her. "At least for tonight."

Naminé looked at Kimblee, narrowing her blue eyes. "Come on. Let's go." Kimblee staggered onto his feet. A part of her wanted to offer him support but the rest of her wanted to ignore Kimblee's state and let him wobble to his room by himself. He deserved it. He started all this unnecessary trouble. When he lost his balance, Naminé found herself helping him.

Their eyes met and Kimblee smirked. "I guess I'll be having fun tonight."

Naminé dropped him.

"Thomson!"

"Have someone else bring him to his room, Colonel," Naminé told Archer as she stormed away. It was very unprofessional of her but she didn't care. Kimblee had killed someone tonight and he acted like things were dandy. She, on the other hand, couldn't pretend anymore. Before Archer could order her, she left quickly.

* * *

An hour later, Naminé sat outside of Kimblee's room waiting for the doctor's report. It had been the worse hour of the day. All she could do was think about her life and all the decisions she had made to this point – how many were stupid, how many would probably wreck her life, and how many would be the end of her. Was love supposed to be this stressful? Was she supposed to be questioning every part about it?

The doctor finally emerged from the room. Naminé looked up from her place on the floor. "Is he okay?" She asked.

"He'll be fine," the doctor said. "Luckily he sustained very little injuries. With a good night's rest, he'll be fine tomorrow."

"Thanks," Naminé said, as if the news made her feel better about anything.

"Have a good night, miss."

"You, too." When the doctor was out of sight, Naminé let out a sigh. It was back to her and her troublesome thoughts. She was about to let the heavy feelings consume her again until she heard footsteps coming down the hallway. She looked and saw that it was one of Mustang's men. "Lieutenant Havoc?" She double-checked, frowning as he leaned on the wall opposite against her, cigarette in mouth. "What are you doing here?"

"The Colonel said that I should check on you," he answered. "To make sure Kimblee didn't retaliate for dropping him earlier."

"You should tell the Colonel to have more faith in my abilities," she said, smiling a bit. "I can handle myself. But why send you?"

"Actually he wanted to send one of us," Havoc shrugged. "I just lost rock, paper, scissors."

"Was that necessary?" Naminé asked, trying to make a light conversation.

"Well, considering that Kimblee blew up a soldier today-!"

"Right, of course," Naminé interrupted, looking down the hallway. That reason should have been obvious. Not many people would willingly put their life at risk for someone they didn't know.

"So... How does a nice a girl like yourself end up with a guy like that?" Havoc suddenly asked. "I thought that the whole you liking sadistic and insane men was a joke but I guess not, huh?"

Naminé resisted rolling her eyes. "First of all, Kimblee is not the rule. Second, it's complicated."

Havoc sat down on the floor to be eye-leveled with the woman. "Nothing's that complicated."

Naminé wanted to tell him that he should leave her alone but she couldn't. She knew that once he left her, she would just drown in her depressing thoughts. If this was going to work, she would have to change the topic into something lighter.

"How was the double date with Roy?" Naminé asked. "If you went."

"Well, the girl was cute," he said. "But she was fawning all over Roy at the end."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

Havoc shrugged. "I honestly don't know how the Colonel doesn't it without trying."

Naminé decided to offer her two cents. "I think what women like about Roy is that he's straightforward and confident. He doesn't use stupid pickup lines and he has a knack for saying all the right things. Even I almost went on a date with him once."

"What happened?"

Naminé sighed. "Well, I had these two male coworkers who didn't want me dating Roy. A couple of bets were made and I lost. Roy didn't get his date and I had to go on a date with one of my coworkers. To answer your previous question, that's how it happened. Me being involved with him."

Havoc nodded, taking this bit of information in. "I guess he wasn't always like this, huh?"

"Maybe I didn't see it. I bet you think I'm stupid for loving a man like that."

Havoc shrugged. "I wouldn't call it stupid. That's not the right word."

"What would you call it then?"

"Honestly?"

Naminé nodded.

Havoc thought about it. "Well, judging by what I've seen and heard, maybe blindly masochistic."

She raised an eyebrow. "Blindly masochistic?"

"You're asking if I think you're stupid. That means you have doubts. But, from what I gathered from the Colonel, you are well aware of his crimes. Still, you're in a relationship with the guy so you're hoping he can change."

"So where does masochistic fits in?"

"Well, you've been through this once and it went downhill. Why do it all over again?"

The door to Kimblee's room swung open. Naminé and Havoc got onto their feet for two very different reasons. "Shouldn't you be resting?" Naminé said, standing in front of the Crimson Alchemist.

"It's kinda hard when you're talking so loudly, babe."

"In that case, I should go report to the Colonel," Havoc announced, causing Naminé to look at him. He gave her a mock salute. "Lieutenant Colonel, have a good evening."

"You, too." Naminé watched the lieutenant walk before facing Kimblee. "You need to get back inside your room. Archer's orders."

"Only if you come in with me."

Naminé took a step toward him. "You're not in a position to compromise with me, Kimblee."

The Crimson Alchemist took note that she hadn't used his first name. "I want to talk to you."

"What's there to say?"

He gave an incredulous look. She was actually trying to use his words against him. "You let that guy get into your head, didn't you?"

"Kimblee, get back inside your room."

"Didn't the last few weeks mean anything to you?"

"To _me_?" She repeated, pointing indignantly to herself. "What about you, Zolf? Telling Archer that I'm just your little sex toy when you need a fix! And you're questioning _me_?"

"I did what I had to do."

"Really? And killing that soldier tonight was part of your plan? You said you wouldn't do things like that anymore! You even tried to blow up a kid!"

"That isn't a kid – it's hunk of metal."

Naminé narrowed her blue eyes. "Is that so?"

"Yeah, it is. It goes under the list of 'Things Mustang Doesn't Tell You.'"

"Bringing Roy into this doesn't change the fact that I'm fucking mad at you!"

Kimblee sighed. "Come inside and let's talk about it."

"No," Naminé said, shaking her head. "Just go to sleep and make my job easier, Zolf."

Kimblee didn't budge. Instead he took a step closer to her. "Do you know what collateral is? That's how Archer sees you. He thinks he could use you to control me. If I keep my distance, maybe I can keep you out of this."

"...You still haven't told me why you attacked Al or blew up that soldier."

He sighed. "I wasn't attacking Al. Not in the beginning. He's harboring a fugitive here. Does the name 'Martel' ring any bells?"

Naminé frowned. "Martel?"

"She was in the Devil's Nest and now she wants revenge. She attacked first."

"And the soldier?"

"I needed the materials for a bomb."

"You didn't have to use a bomb. You could have used hand-to-hand combat."

"Why are you being so difficult?" He finally asked.

"You know why, Zolf."

He stared at Naminé. She looked so exhausted and he couldn't understand why. He had explained his actions so she should be able to see things more clearly. If she was actually dwelling on what that guy had said... He looked both ways down the hallway and saw no one. He didn't see anyone in the courtyard below either.

Kimblee moved fast. One hand went for the woman's lower back while the other went for her head. He kissed her. She didn't push him away but she didn't reciprocate either. "I still love you, Naminé," he murmured softly against her lips. "I'll be on my best behavior."

"Then go to bed."

Kimblee smirked and pulled away. "Good night, babe." He retreated back into his room and closed the door.

Naminé sat back on the floor, this time leaning against the door. In the off chance that Kimblee tried to sneak out, she would know. She rested her heat against the door and closed her blue eyes. Havoc had been partially right. Kimblee easily switched between the man she wanted and the man who yearned for explosions. While she wished for it desperately, she couldn't get rid of the part she didn't like no matter how much she smothered him with affection. She knew that Kimblee would always be torn between the two identities. She just didn't know which side would win out.


	41. Chapter 41: Lior, Part 2

**A/N: It has been too long. I was hoping that I would have gotten this chapter up last week but I was tweaking the hell out of it. Some parts didn't seem up to par. But yeah. After this, there are probably only two more chapters, three at max. The core of Chapter 42 is written so hopefully that will be up next week. In the meantime, enjoy the update.**

**CHAPTER 41—Lior, Part 2:**

The light from the rising sun flooded the hallway. Naminé opened her eyes. Without realizing it, she had dozed off. She got off the floor and stretched her limbs, working the knots and aches from her stiff muscles. She opened Kimblee's room and was pleased to see he was indeed sleeping. Looking at him, she wouldn't have guessed all the atrocities he had done if she didn't know better. This was the reason she liked waking up before him. She quietly closed the door and sat back down. Once again her thoughts consumed her.

The brunette soon spotted Archer approaching her with a soldier. Immediately she stood up. "Good morning, sir," she said.

Archer smiled. "I assume you manage to keep Kimblee out of trouble."

"I did," she confirmed. "He's still sleeping."

"Good," Archer said. He gestured toward the man next to him. "This soldier will take over for now."

Naminé happily left her station, walking with Archer and heading for the mess hall. The hallways seemed empty but that could be because it was still early. Naminé stifled a yawn but she still managed to catch Archer's attention.

"I'll need you to return to your sentry duties this evening," he suddenly said, breaking the silence.

Naminé furrowed her eyebrows together. "Is there something else you want me to do today?" She didn't understand why he would give her such a huge break.

The colonel shook his head. "You're free to do whatever you want today," he told her. "Maybe even make up sleep. You look exhausted."

"Thank you," she said, thinking that was surprisingly kind of him. She thought about whether she should ask what was on her mind. Then she decided she didn't have anything to lose. "Colonel, what are you planning for Lior?"

"Only the necessary precautions, Thomson."

He was being no vaguer than usual. What she really wanted to know was where Kimblee fit into his scheme and what he wanted the Crimson Alchemist to do. Last night had shown that the mad bomber was still there but Kimblee came back from that. He had lost the murderous gleam in his eyes toward the end of the night. However, if Kimblee had to do far worse in Lior, than he would just revert back completely.

Naminé stopped walking. Archer turned around and gave her a quizzical expression. "I think I'll skip breakfast," she explained. "I'm really exhausted and there is no way I can stay up again if I don't get enough sleep."

Archer nodded in understanding. "I'll see you later tonight, Thomson."

Naminé headed toward her room. When she walked in, she didn't see any of her roommates inside. Without missing a beat, she dropped onto her bed. She fell asleep quickly.

* * *

It had been a surprise when the Fuhrer arrived. It had been even more surprising for Kimblee when the top dog wanted a word with him. While Kimblee knew that the Fuhrer had never done the most 'noble' of things, he had never suspected that the Fuhrer would approve of inciting a riot. It raised several questions – such as what actually started the Ishbal War – but he didn't dwell on it for long. Kimblee was just excited that he had something to do. It beat staying in that room all day. The Fuhrer said his goodbyes and left to tend other matters. Now it was only he, Archer, Tucker, and the caged chimeras that remained. There was an awkward silence, Tucker making it worse with only how uncomfortable he looked. Kimblee assumed that he wasn't thrilled about sending his chimeras into Lior. When Archer asked Tucker his chimeras, Kimblee decided it was time to go.

"I'm leaving," Kimblee announced, heading for the door. He wondered what his favorite brunette was up to. Last night she had brushed him off easily. But since he felt better this morning, she wouldn't be able to this time.

"Hold on," Archer said. "I would like to make clear a few things about tomorrow."

Kimblee looked back. "Go into Lior and stir things up. Seems pretty straightforward."

"It's important you don't spend all day doing that," Archer said. "The sooner you report back, the sooner I can make a move. It's also important you do what you have to."

"And why wouldn't I?"

"Maybe because a certain brunette got into your head."

Kimblee laughed. "If you really think that, wouldn't bringing her here make the situation worse?"

"We both know why she's here," Archer said. "Just think of it this way – if you can't do your job, I'll send Thomson into a potentially dangerous area. She could even run into Scar."

Kimblee ignored that Archer was trying to use Naminé against him. Surprisingly, up this point, his face hadn't betrayed his thoughts. "And you think Naminé can do a better job?"

Archer shrugged. "Doesn't matter. I'll still get a martyr and a reason to fight, won't I?" Archer caught the expression on Kimblee's face. It was almost funny. Kimblee was supposed to have no regard for human life but he was showing otherwise. "What's the problem? You were fine with Full Metal being the martyr for our cause. Why would Thomson be an exception? "

"She's not." Kimblee caught Tucker staring at him. One look had the former human averting his gaze. It didn't take long for the half-chimera-half-human to find some sort of solace with his talking chimeras.

"Isabelle said differently."

Kimblee looked back at Archer. "Who gives a shit about what Isabelle says?" He couldn't say he was surprised. This wouldn't be the first time Isabelle had opened her mouth. Maybe he shouldn't have humored her in the park that night.

"Don't worry. Just do your job and no harm will come to Thomson."

"It's really pissing me off that you can't seem to get it through your skull. Naminé means nothing to me and using her against me won't. Besides, I was going to do the job anyway. I've been eager to make fireworks again."

* * *

Some time while Naminé had slept, she had missed the Fuhrer's arrival. She had heard about it a few hours later when her roommates finally returned from their posts, talking loudly about it and other things. Naminé hoped that the Fuhrer hadn't noticed her absence. It would look terrible on her part, especially since she had recently been promoted. She headed downstairs. By then the sun had already started to set.

When Naminé couldn't find her superior, she went to Roy. Roy was by himself in his office, leaning back comfortably on a couch and staring at the ceiling. He didn't look at her until she sat opposite him. Even then, it was like he didn't really see her. Clearly his mind was preoccupied.

"I heard the Fuhrer's here," she said.

"You missed his arrival?"

Naminé nodded. "I was a bit tired from Kimblee duty."

Roy's dark eyes clouded a bit before he sat up and faced her. "Why didn't you tell me he was back?"

"I don't know, Roy. Maybe the same reason you won't tell me anything either."

"What are you talking about?"

"Hughes' death. What really went on behind it. What _you're_ involved in." Roy gave her a funny look and she sighed. "Kimblee may not be perfect but at least he doesn't leave me in the dark... What exactly is Al? An animated suit of armor?"

Roy sighed. "Can't say."

"Should I ask the Fuhrer then?"

Roy stared. "I bet this makes up for every crime he committed, right? Killing Romberg-!"

"He didn't kill him," Naminé said, cutting him off.

"I find that hard to believe. It was his MO."

"Kimblee told me what happened."

"And you believe him."

"Yes. I do."

Roy stared hard at her but Naminé didn't waver. He went back to his original question. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I doubt Archer would approve," Naminé said slowly. "And I didn't find it necessary. Would you have believed me?"

"Yes," he said.

She couldn't tell if Roy actually meant that. Everyone – the military, Mel, and Vi – had shut down that idea, had even questioned her sanity. Yet Roy was claiming he would have believed her if she had told him from the get-go. She looked down at her clasped hands.

"I wish Hughes played a better job at matchmaker," Roy said after a while. "You wouldn't be in your current predicament."

"What predicament?"

"Do you honestly think this time will be different?"

She gave a weak smile. "I can hope, right?"

* * *

Naminé was walking down the hallway, ready to take up Kimblee Duty again. She was surprised to see Archer standing outside Kimblee's room. The Colonel was talking to Kimblee about something until he noticed that she was coming toward them. She couldn't help but feel like she was interrupting something.

"You're on time," Archer said. "Your hours will be short. Kimblee has to head out before dawn to do a mission."

Naminé looked at Kimblee, raising her eyebrows. "In Lior?"

Archer nodded. "It's a very important mission."

"I see."

Archer started to walk away. "Make sure Kimblee gets adequate rest, Thomson."

"Yes sir."

When Archer was far away, Kimblee looked at Naminé, barely moving from the doorway. "Anything you want to know about tomorrow, babe?"

"Quite a bit," she admitted.

Kimblee smiled and stepped back. "Want to come in?"

Naminé looked at him, clearly confused, but Kimblee waved an arm toward his room. Shaking her head, Naminé stepped inside. Seeing that the bed was the only thing to sit on besides the floor, she went over to it and plopped herself down at the foot of the bed. Kimblee sat down not too far from her before lying down.

"So, what's your very important mission?" She asked,

"I'm going to go make some fireworks in Lior. Stir things up; give the military a reason to go in. You can come and watch if you're interested."

Naminé looked at him. At first she was shocked. Then she was angry. He had called it fireworks and he thought _she_ wanted to watch? "You haven't changed at all and Archer's just encouraging your behavior."

"Your point?"

"You don't care about the innocent people you might kill?!"

Kimblee stared at her, seeing the clear distress on her face. To appease her he should have said yes but he wasn't going to lie to her. He shook his head and caught the sudden increase in her glare's intensity. He snorted. "You haven't changed since Ishbal, babe." If she wanted to be upset about yesterday, that was fine. But if he was simply carrying out the orders given to him by Archer, she shouldn't be giving him death glares.

Naminé looked away. "Unlike you, I have my morals, Zolf. I wouldn't care who gave me orders. I would never do this. Start a war? Why would anyone do that?"

Kimblee sighed and thought it over for a bit. "Naminé?" She met his gaze and he caught the defeated look in her eyes. It was like she knew where this was going. "I'm sorry." He wasn't sorry for the argument or for what he had done and was going to do. He was sorry that he couldn't do what _she_ wanted.

She lied down next to him, him holding her gaze captive. She reached out and stroked his face, gently tracing his jawline. "I'm sorry, too, but I really don't want you to go tomorrow."

He took hold of her hand and got on top of her. "What are you afraid of?" Kimblee kissed her lips softly. He then moved to her chin and then to her neck. Naminé stared at the ceiling, waiting for something to drown out all the concerns and fears. She felt her military jacket open and the buttons to her blouse being undone. After a while, she sat up.

Kimblee sat up, wondering if he had done something wrong. Then she kissed him. She worked off his military jacket and only pulled away to remove his shirt. Both articles of clothing fell by the side of the bed.

Kimblee quickly worked Naminé out of her jacket and blouse, revealing the black bra underneath. It didn't take long for him to remove the bra as well. He left her swollen lips and trailed kisses downward.

She closed her eyes. _Maybe I am stupid, maybe even blindly masochistic but I still love him._

She did love him and she hoped with all her heart that he loved her in return. She should be able to tell if he didn't. Love making wouldn't feel this good, her heart wouldn't be fluttering like it was all new again, and she wouldn't be clutching so desperately to him as if she was afraid to let him go. He wouldn't bother making eye contact, he wouldn't be clutching her hand, fingers intertwined, and he wouldn't say her name like it was precious. And falling over the edge together wouldn't be so euphoric and freeing.

Kimblee moved to get off her but she pulled him into a slow kiss. "Just stay."

"You sure? I don't want to crush you."

"I'm sure."

Kimblee snuggled against her neck and closed his golden eyes. "You're way too good to me, Naminé."

Naminé closed her eyes, holding him a little tighter. Even though it was in vain, she wished that this moment would never end.

* * *

Kimblee woke up a few hours later. They had fallen asleep with the bedroom light on. Carefully freeing himself from Naminé's embrace, he got out of bed and turned off the lights. He quickly found his clothes on the floor and put them on. He heard Naminé moved on the bed but he hoped that was just her tossing in her sleep. He didn't want her to be awake when he left. It would be so much easier that way.

"Zolf?" He turned around and saw her sitting up in the dark. Like expected, she was clutching the sheets to her chest for modesty's sake. "Where are you going?"

"To Lior."

"I'm... still worried about you going. You might be-!"

He pressed his finger against her lips, effectively shushing her. After a night like that, she was still worrying her head over nothing. Clearly he had some sort of incentive to come back. He removed his finger when he was sure she wouldn't continue. "Don't worry about it. I'll see you later this morning. I promise."

"...Maybe I should go with you."

Kimblee shook his head. "Don't bother." She didn't need to see what he was going to do in Lior. She had been nearly broken over about that one soldier from yesterday. She would probably mentally break if she saw dozens of people screaming for their lives. Plus, he knew that if she was there, he would hold back. "Go back to sleep, babe." He kissed her on her cheek, trying to make this easier on the both of them. However, she laced her arms around his neck and pulled him into a lip lock.

The sheets she had clutched against her chest fell away and soon his hands were on her, trying to memorize the feel of her soft skin. He considered staying longer for round two. He wanted round two. But he knew if he didn't leave now, he probably never would. He removed her arms from his neck and put some distance between them.

He reached for his pocket watch and stared at it. "Here," he said, passing it to her. "Hold this for me until I get back."

She took it and clutched it in her hand. "Sure," she said quietly.

He stroked her cheek, catching her attention. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Zolf." It was barely there but he heard the faint cracking in her voice. He didn't want to see her tear up. He stood up and headed for the door. He took hold of the doorknob, hesitated, and looked back.

"Bye, Naminé."

"Goodbye, Zolf."

With that, he left the room and Naminé behind.


	42. Chapter 42: Lior, Part 3

**A/N: The last several weeks have been crazy for numerous reasons, some of which extend beyond college. If not for all the chaos surrounding me, this would have been finished a couple of months ago. The two chapters I posted today are the last two in this story so I hope you enjoy them. Thanks to DarkestInk for reviewing two months back. **

**CHAPTER 42—Lior, Part 3:**

Kimblee stood at the outskirts of Lior, chimeras by his side, taking in the sight before him. The city looked peaceful against the dark clear skies. Soon enough, however, the air would be full of screams and explosions as the city was thrown into a state of chaos. By the time the sun rose, the people of Lior would retaliate against the military and Archer would get his justification to send the troops in.

The chimera next to him growled, "Should we go in now?"

Kimblee shrugged and shoved his hands into his pockets. "Go ahead." The chimeras took off toward the city at top speed, howling to announce their presence. Kimblee waited a while. Then he leisurely followed after them. The first building he reached, he touched it, getting a feel for its chemical makeup. He was certain he could get a good explosion out of it.

"_You haven't changed at all."_

Kimblee paused briefly. _Naminé...I would think of you now._ He clapped his hands and touched the building wall. Within seconds the wall exploded, sending dust into the air. The explosion reverberated through his body, reminding him of the thrill that came with his alchemy. The smoke cleared, revealing a large hole in the wall and several civilians pressed up against the corner of a room. Kimblee stepped inside.

If the military hadn't found him alive, would things be different between him and Naminé? Better yet, what if he hadn't been part of the Devil's Nest when they had ran into each other? She would have still been angry but maybe he would have been able to talk things out with her. But he realized as the civilians started to run away, it was because they had been forced to live together that she had listened to him. For them to have had any chance together, things would have had to play out differently in Ishbal. He wouldn't have killed those soldiers and Romberg would be alive. She would have broken up with Romberg and they would have been together. But then he had to wonder if he was a ticking time bomb. If it hadn't been in Ishbal, would it have been further down the line?

Kimblee calmly clapped his hands. It was time to start.

* * *

A few hours later, Naminé woke up. Quickly she looked around. To her dismay, there was no sign of Kimblee. She reluctantly got out of bed, cleaned up and got dressed. Before she left, she took Kimblee's pocket watch with her. She was barely out of the room when she heard someone calling her.

"Lieutenant Colonel!"

Naminé's face heated up. Coming out of the room where the mad bomber was staying, she could only imagine how suspicious this looked. When she turned to face Breda, Havoc, Fuery, and Falman, she realized her imagination wasn't so far off. "Hey," she said, trying to ignore the awkwardness.

Havoc motioned toward the door, giving her an all-knowing look. "Rendezvous with the boyfriend?"

"For your information," she said too defensively, trying not to blush, "he's not in there. I just had to get something."

"Have you seen the Colonel?" Fuery asked.

The woman frowned. "I haven't. Why?"

"He went to tell Archer not to go into Lior," Falman explained. "But we just saw Archer leaving with a battalion. We went to see if the Colonel was in Archer's office but there was no sign of him."

Naminé's eyebrows furrowed together. "...Archer has a room in the basement. Did you check there?"

The men shook their heads.

The group headed to the bottom level of the building. It was almost like a fairy tale dungeon with the lit torches and brick walls. Naminé had only strayed down here once and she was almost worried that she was leading Mustang's men in circles. However, she eventually came across a familiar door and opened it.

They went down a short hallway and into a room. Mustang, Hawkeye, and Armstrong were standing in the middle surrounded by knocked out, possibly even dead, chimeras. Tucker's, no doubt. The three soldiers turned around, clearly surprised to see the group.

Fuery spoke first up. "My God, is everyone alright?"

"Somehow," Roy muttered.

Hawkeye didn't waste any time. "Has Colonel Archer's battalion moved yet?"

The faces of Mustang's men hardened as Fuery started to explain the situation to his superiors. "Well, they did but really it's the strangest thing."

Falman took over. "All of a sudden Lior started glowing bright red."

"Yeah," Breda finished. "And they've been out of contact ever since."

There was a sinking feeling in the pit of Naminé's stomach. Something bad must have happened. It would explain why Kimblee wasn't back yet and why contact had been lost with Archer's battalion. _Relax, Naminé. Don't assume the worst just yet. _

"I'm surprised you're still here, Naminé," Roy suddenly said. "I thought Archer would have taken you with him."

"I overslept," she replied.

"Where's Kimblee then?"

She shrugged. "He went into Lior early this morning. Archer wanted him to incite the people of Lior."

Roy gave her an incredulous look. "You knew what Archer was up to but you didn't say a word? You didn't even _try_ to stop him?"

"Archer or Kimblee?"

"Both!"

Naminé opened her mouth to speak but hesitated. Instinctively she knew she was missing something. "This isn't just about Archer, is it? What is really going on?"

Roy walked past her. "There isn't time to explain."

She turned around and watched Roy's subordinates follow him out of the room. _Kimblee... is he in danger? _She reached out and grabbed the closest person to her – Havoc. "What's going on?" She asked him. "I need to know."

Havoc looked at the leaving group before returning his attention to the brunette. "I don't know all the details but I can explain on the way."

* * *

In the world of alchemy, there were things believed to be impossible. Homunculi were a prime example but Naminé knew better. Now she had to absorb the fact that the Philosopher's Stone wasn't a mere myth but something feasible. When she arrived with Roy and the others, Lior was nearly wiped out. If she hadn't known about Lior, she would have said the city never existed. Roy, being the leader he was, went to help and organize the rescue effort. But Naminé stood off to the side, trying to wrap her mind around what she was seeing. Soldiers were bringing back survivors they managed to find in the sand. Some survivors were missing a few limbs but they were the lucky ones. Archer was missing half of his body. She was so deep in her thoughts that she almost didn't see when Armstrong arrived.

"If I hadn't stopped Kimblee, all of this could have been avoided," Naminé muttered, watching as the soldiers continue to excavate the site. There was still no sign of Kimblee.

"No." Naminé looked up at Armstrong. "It would have happened," he told her. "Archer wanted his military glory and would have done anything to get it."

Naminé looked over at Roy. The Flame Alchemist was giving men orders. "I think Roy would disap...!"

Armstrong looked down at Naminé. "Is something wrong?" Finally he saw what had the woman's attention. It was the body a couple of soldiers were carrying and loading into the truck. "Is that-?"

"It is," Naminé said, cutting him off. Before she realized it, she was already making her way over.

The two soldiers putting the body away looked up. "Lieutenant Colonel, do you need something?"

"I just wanted to see if it's really the Crimson Alchemist," she explained in a monotone voice. They looked at her in confusion but Naminé didn't pay them any attention. It really was Kimblee. She stared at the bloody hole in his abdomen and then into his lifeless eyes. Just last night they had been... _"I'll see you later this morning. I promise."_

"Lieutenant Colonel," one of the soldiers said with his voice full of worry.

Naminé looked away and blinked a few too many times. "He, um, lost contact with his family a long time ago," she said, seemingly out of nowhere. "I'm the one to contact about burial arrangements. Please make note of that."

"O-okay."

Naminé walked away, trying not to collapse. Her mind was reeling about his lifeless eyes and how his death couldn't have been quick. It must have been so painful... She blinked her eyes again. She needed to think about something else. She couldn't break down now. As she headed toward Roy, she took deep, slow breaths. Roy furrowed his eyebrows together when she reached him, taking in her state. Naminé hoped it didn't look as bad as it felt. "Is there anything I can help with, sir?"

"Everything's covered," he replied.

Naminé pursed her lips. "Colonel, I did nothing to stop of this. So let me at least try to help clean up the mess."

Roy sighed. "I sent my men to find out what happened and if anyone has seen the Elrics. You can help with that."

Naminé saluted Roy. "Will do, sir."

* * *

From asking around, she had a good idea what had happened. Kimblee had been dead on arrival. He had been killed by Scar. If Scar was still alive, she would have taken her anger out on him. However, he was dead and while it made sense that she should have found some sort solace in that, she couldn't. Kimblee was still dead and unlike last time, he wouldn't show up and say how the military had lied about his death. She expected sadness but all she got was anger. She didn't understand why.

She was walking around the temporary headquarters with no real destination in mind. She wanted to be left alone but the solitude didn't last as long as she had hoped.

"Naminé!"

She turned around and saw Roy at the end of the hallway. A part of her wanted to run but she ended up staying in the end. "Did Armstrong say you should check on me?" She really couldn't see why Roy wanted to talk about _this _now.

"If Havoc and Breda didn't compare you to a walking zombie-!"

"The dead don't come back to life, Roy," Naminé sharply interrupted.

He gave her a hard stare. It looked like he wanted to ask something troubling but for whatever reason, he didn't. Instead, he said, "I know that. But the living should go on living."

She narrowed her blue eyes. "I'm not going to kill myself over Kimblee."

"Really? The last time you thought he was dead, you drank yourself into a stupor."

Naminé clenched her fists, her nails digging into the palm of her hands. "But this time he _is_ dead. He made that decision. He decided to go into Lior and leave me. And for what? To make a few bombs? To hurt innocent people? I want to believe that there was something good about him but I don't know anymore."

Roy put his hands into his pockets. He looked off to the side, trying to find words that wouldn't upset her. However, he had been right about this and it was terrible that he had to be. He sighed. "What are you going to do when you leave Lior?"

"I'll forget that he even existed."


	43. Chapter 43: A Better Ending

**CHAPTER 43—A Better Ending:**

The night skies glowed above the buildings. By the time day broke, the whole city would be ash. Naminé found herself walking through a city of fire. What she wanted to find was here. She knew it. Her feet instinctively knew where to take her despite the fear seizing her chest. It didn't matter if the smoke was filling her lungs because she couldn't feel it nor could she feel the heat from the surrounding flames. What should have felt like hell felt like nothing.

She stopped in front of a burning building. This was where she would find him.

"Naminé?"

She stopped at the sound of the voice. She turned around and faced the man that had called her. "Thad..."

He approached her. "What are you doing? Don't you know it's dangerous in there?" His voice was full of worry. It even reached his brown eyes. She wanted to appease him, to make up for hurting him but she couldn't. Not when she was so close.

"I know but I wasn't scared before."

"You should be." Romberg stopped in front of her. "You want to forget, don't you?"

It was so strange. He looked exactly as he had in Ishbal. He was still the same man who had wanted to give her everything and for some reason she concluded that she didn't need. What did she need? She turned toward the burning building. "I want to but I can't."

As she tried to walk away, he firmly grabbed her hand and pulled her back. "Stay. You don't need this. Forget."

"I can't!"

Romberg stared at her. Then he dropped her hand. "He's waiting for you. Like always."

Naminé ran into the building, not caring whether or not the flames got on her clothes or burn her skin. She ran into a couple of rooms before finding him. His back was toward her, his long hair worn the same way she had seen him last. He was wearing his military uniform as well.

"What took you so long, babe? I thought you forgot about me."

Naminé started to walk toward him. "Come back. I don't want to be like this anymore."

"Be like what?" A burning beam fell down, blocking Naminé's path. It was then that Kimblee chose to turn around. His eyes were lifeless. "Dead?"

Just like that, the building collapses around her.

Naminé sat up in her bed, breathing hard. Unfortunately the dream still lingered in her mind. It was funny. During the day, she told herself that she was done with him. Yet when she was sleeping, she pined for him. Maybe because at night, she was aware of how empty her bed felt without him.

Seeing it was morning, she reluctantly got out of bed. It would be another long day.

She went to the living room. Any memories of her and Kimblee spending time on the couch was quickly pushed out of her head. She sat down and reached for the forgotten alchemy book on the coffee table. She had checked it out of the library to write her alchemy assessment report. However, with the chaos at Central HQ due to Fuhrer Bradley's death, the higher ups had neglected to follow up.

She started to flip through it, searching for something new to read. Before she could find something, there was a knock on the front door. Reluctantly she got up. The moment the door opened, Mel greeted her with a smile.

"Hi!" Mel said too cheerfully. "How are you this morning?"

"Okay."

"Have you had breakfast yet?" Naminé shook her head. "Then we should go out and get some. I'm buying!"

Naminé didn't protest. After the first few check-up visits, the brunette realized that protesting didn't work. The only reason Mel was like this was because she knew about Kimblee's death. Somehow, in her friend's head, this was a logical way to cheer her up. If only Mel could see how this wasn't helping. She felt like she was beyond help and nothing could save her from the emptiness she was feeling.

* * *

"I'm glad to hear he's doing better, Lieutenant Hawkeye," Naminé said over the phone. "Tell him I'll talk to him soon."

"I will," Riza said. "...You know, he was worried about you. He said he hasn't heard from you since Lior."

There was a sudden tightness in her chest. "I've been busy. Let him know not to worry about me. I'm fine now."

There was a brief pause. Then Riza said, "I'll tell him."

The women said goodbye to each other and Naminé hung up. Once Lior was mentioned, Kimblee came back along with the anger and bitterness. She needed a distraction. Already her hands were on her alchemy book again, flipping through the pages for something, anything. Briefly her eyes caught the word 'human'. She paused. Before she even thought about trying to find that page, she put the book down. She wouldn't, _couldn't_, think about that.

It was only three o'clock in the afternoon but a nap seemed like a good way to pass the time. She knew she would dream of him but that seemed like a lesser evil. Being conscious and thinking about him would hurt a lot more.

She went to her bedroom and threw herself onto the large bed. She closed her blue eyes but soon Kimblee was in her thoughts. His smirk was the first thing that came to mind. Usually it appeared when he was teasing her or was excited about something. The way he used to call her 'babe.' At first she had hated it so much but now she missed hearing it.

Naminé sat up and then opened her nightstand drawer. She remembered that out of embarrassment, she had stashed that romantic novel Mel suggested in there. But as her hand moved around, it touched something cold and metallic. She pulled the object out of the drawer and stared at Kimblee's pocket watch.

For the first time in days, tears were streaming down her face. _Why? How could you do this to me? _The anger was building up she threw the pocket watch at the wall and it fell open. Out of it fell a piece of paper. Naminé was still for a moment. Then she got off the bed.

It was the photograph she had given before Lior. She thought that maybe he had ignored her wishes but he hadn't. She had been wrong.

* * *

Once Kimblee had been buried, Naminé believed that she would never visit Kimblee grave again. It was a decision made out of anger and frustration but now, since most of that was gone, she wanted to visit. She hoped that by visiting him, the confusion would leave her as well. She still couldn't comprehend everything. She didn't completely understand Kimblee and his motivations. She didn't understand how things played out the way they did. She supposed that was where most of the pain stemmed from.

The next day, she went to the cemetery and found his tombstone. She had kept it simple. There had been no funeral, no wake, nothing to remember his memory. She didn't think anyone knew him the way she had and she wouldn't know who to invite. Even Isabelle wasn't a possibility.

The brunette sighed as she looked at Kimblee's engraved name.

"I think I'm going crazy," she said. "Not many people come to talk to the dead. But there're so many things I want to tell you. I hate that you left me. I hate that you consume my thoughts. I hate that you have all this power over me when you're not even here. You said that you loved me and yet you put me aside just because you want to satisfy your own irrational impulses. I hoped things would be different this time but they're not. And you know why I'm going crazy? I want to try again. I want to bring you back. I spent the whole night trying to work out the equivalent exchange for a human life."

"I thought human transmutation was taboo." Naminé turned around. It was Isabelle. The blonde took a few steps closer, her green eyes on her former friend. "I swear you bring the worst luck to men. First Romberg, now Kimblee. _Although_ you didn't love Romberg enough to try to bring him back to life."

Naminé swallowed. "Kimblee always had me."

"But you didn't deserve him."

Naminé could feel her jaw clenched. She wasn't going to listen to this now. She started to walk away but then Isabelle said something that caught her off guard.

"You'll need more than what makes up the human body."

Naminé halted. "What do you mean?"

Isabelle acted nonchalant but it wasn't fooling the brunette. "People have tried it before. Have you wondered why no one knows more about it?"

Naminé started to walk away. She hated to admit but Isabelle had a point. If it was that simple, human transmutation wouldn't be impossible.

* * *

The next week or so consisted of nothing much but the necessities and research. Unfortunately she couldn't find much in any books but Naminé drew her own conclusions. Following the laws of equivalent exchange, a life should theoretically equal another life. However that seemed wrong. Was she supposed to sacrifice someone in the process? Would an arm and leg do? How about half of own her life? She would happily give that just to bring him back. Even though she was still trying to figure out the logistics, she had felt better than she had in days. Somehow the hope of being reunited with Kimblee made her happy again. It was the only thing that motivated her to get out of the house.

After a late night of research, Naminé ended up sleeping later than she would have liked. It was incessant knocking that got her rolling out of bed that morning. Before she even opened the door, she knew it was Mel.

"Did I just wake you up?" Mel asked, studying her friend's face.

"Kind of," Naminé replied.

"Well, it's eleven o'clock," Mel told her. "Why don't we go out for lunch?"

"I can't," Naminé said, heading back into her apartment. "I want to go to the library today."

"For your assessment?" Mel asked, closing the door behind her.

"Yeah," Naminé lied. There was no way she was cluing Mel in on what she was thinking. Once Mel knew, Vi would know and they would both try to discourage her. "I still have a lot of work to do so I would appreciate..." Her voice trailed off as a strange feeling came over.

Mel came over, concern in her eyes. "Is something wrong?"

Naminé suddenly felt nauseated. Her head felt light. After she realized what was happening, she ran to the bathroom. She barely made it to the toilet. There was nothing in her stomach but she was surprised that there was so much to heave. She could feel Mel holding her hair back, something that she had forgotten to do.

"Did you eat something bad?" Mel asked.

Naminé shook her head. At least she didn't remember she did.

There was a momentary silence, then:

"Did you have your period yet?"

Naminé stood up and flushed the toilet. "What does that have to do with anything?" She asked slowly.

"Well," Mel started, biting her lip, "I'm not an expert and I guess Vi would know more about this than I would. But just let me know if it happens again."

Naminé blinked as it dawned on her. "I'm not pregnant. I _can't_ be pregnant."

"I didn't say you were."

"But you were thinking it."

Mel shrugged. "It could be late."

But Naminé could tell Mel was just saying that.

* * *

Vi had no intentions of going to South City. She had taken a vacation too recently from work. However, an emergency was an emergency. Mel had called, sounding frantic over the phone. Apparently Naminé hadn't been heard from in two weeks. Vi had told Mel to get the landlord but the woman had insisted she couldn't. She didn't want to be alone if something terrible was found. Vi had even suggested calling Kaili but according to Mel, Kaili had her own growing concerns about her sick mother and saw no point in worry the young woman about a possibly suicidal sister.

Like they had agreed, Vi and Mel met outside of Naminé's apartment complex. The two women looked at each other and sighed.

"I'm glad you made it," Mel said.

"Let's head up," Vi suggested. The two headed inside the building. Before they took the stairs, Vi had the idea of the checking Naminé's mailbox. After fiddling with the combination lock, Vi popped the mailbox. She picked up a few letters. "Either she didn't get much or she's fine." She stopped and paused at letter in a manila envelope. She raised an eyebrow.

Mel appeared over her shoulder. "Fuhrer Roy Mustang?"

"Hey, Vi, Mel."

The two women turned around. "Kaili?!"

* * *

"So she really is pregnant, huh?" Mel asked Kaili as they neared the apartment.

Kaili nodded. "She's been calling home often but I haven't had a chance to visit her until today. She says she's fine but I think she might just be saying that."

The three women stopped outside the door. Kaili knocked. They waited for a while. Then the door opened. Naminé looked at the three of them. "What are you all doing here?"

"To check up on you!" Mel exclaimed. "You haven't ben answering your calls!"

"Because I don't want to talk about it," Naminé admitted. "I think about it too much as it is." She stepped aside, allowing them to come inside her apartment. Already, she could see their eyes scanning the room, making their own assessments about her state of mind. Like expected, Vi's eyes landed on the alchemy book. If she was thinking what Naminé thought she was, Vi didn't voice it.

"Are you still throwing up?" Mel asked, taking a seat on a nearby couch.

Naminé shook her head. "I still can't believe I'm actually pregnant."

Kaili looked down at her hands. "Are you happy?"

Naminé shrugged. "I would have preferred a different time but I can't change that, can I?" Vi and Kaili joined Mel on the couch, leaving only the lone chair to sit on. Taking the seat across from them, it made Naminé feel like she was facing a tribunal. All eyes were on her. "Is it wrong that I'm not excited about this?"

"Of course!" Mel said immediately. "I mean, Kimblee was the one – I mean, forget I said Kim—I mean, _his _name." In her peripheral, she caught Vi shaking her head. "I didn't mean to say his name, Vi!"

Naminé laughed. Vi, Mel, and Kaili looked at her like she was crazy. "It's not that big of a deal. It was an accident but a needed one. I've been trying to forget but this baby is a constant reminder that I'm still in love with Zolf. But I feel like I hate him, too."

"But you don't," Vi said. "You only hate what he did. Trying to forget isn't the right way to go about this because you can't forget."

"Then what is?"

"I don't have all the answers."

Naminé looked at the alchemy books on the coffee table. She had thought that the right way had been in those books and she had held so much hope in them. However, she realized she didn't know what equaled a life and with the dangers of performing a human transmutation, she might lose her life or worse, her unborn child.

"_The dead don't come back to life, Roy."_

"_I know that. But the living should go on living."_

It was like Roy knew what she would have considered even when she had been denying it. She only had one thing to live for and that her baby. She had thought it would destroy the remainder of her world but surprisingly it was now the only thing keeping it together. If she didn't take care of herself, then she would be hurting the baby. She couldn't do that.

"I got your mail for you," Vi said, holding up a few envelopes.

Naminé took them and went through them, eventually stopping on the one from Roy. _Fuhrer Roy Mustang? _She looked up but her friends were looking at her expectantly. They had seen it. Naminé opened the letter and read it.

_Dear Naminé,_

_I hope that you are well but considering the recent death of Kimblee, I'm not sure how you're holding up. You haven't been answering your phones in the past week. But I digress._

_Things have been changing at Central HQ. I have been elected Fuhrer by the higher ups as a way to appease the soldiers and civilians. Since exposing the King Bradley for what he was and the crimes he had committed, I have gained supporters. I have also gained enemies. _

_In order to get rid of the corruption in the military, I need people who would push me and keep me at the top. I need those people close by. So I have a proposition for you. I don't need your permission to transfer you to Central HQ but I would prefer you coming here of your own volition. I think we would both benefit from this. I'll have another ally nearby and you can have that change of scenery that you need._

"What does it say, Naminé?" Kaili asked.

Naminé looked up. "Roy would like me to come to Central."

"Just like that?" Vi asked. "You were just there a few months ago."

"I know," Naminé said slowly. "But I think a change of scenery would be good and Roy want his allies close. Roy seems to have big plans for the country and I want to be there."

"I think it's a great idea," Kaili smiled.

Central City seemed to be her go to place when things got terrible in South City. It was what she had done seven years ago after Ishbal. But this time it was different. It was not about getting a fresh start, running away from it all. It was about the continuation, finding a better ending and that sounded a lot better.


End file.
